tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17750036711623327962024-03-19T06:16:37.580-04:00Lines From the PageReading for a lifetime to understand how my story and other stories fit into that one Great Story.
"But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world...had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the
one before." ~ THE LAST BATTLE by C. S. Lewis.Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-51357462427444631672015-07-31T11:59:00.001-04:002015-07-31T11:59:58.112-04:00Books Read in 2014TO READ OR TO KNIT, THAT IS THE QUESTION. . .<br />
<br />
I've been knitting more than reading for about 2 years now. Hence, the silence on the blog front. Maybe I'll post pictures of baby blankets and such sometime. So I'm behind on blogging, but surprisingly, I actually read quite a few books last year.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Links are to Amazon or Librivox as appropriate.</span></i><br />
<br />
<b><u>January</u></b><br />
<ul><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NVCAIG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000NVCAIG&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=CAWH4TVD7Q3IQXCT" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B000NVCAIG&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000NVCAIG" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NVCAIG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000NVCAIG&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=XS32UCZHRMBVXBYD">Green Dolphin Street</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000NVCAIG" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Elizabeth Goudge - one of the best novels I've read in a very long time - highly recommended!</li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008ZPG8XK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008ZPG8XK&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=6DZNII7GTSZ6UIGV">Speaking from Among the Bones: A Flavia de Luce Novel</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008ZPG8XK" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Alan Bradley - reread this one before the latest installment since I didn't remember much from when I read it very quickly last year.</li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E2RYTJU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00E2RYTJU&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=5YKFFP55T2V5H7G7">The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches: A Flavia de Luce Novel</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00E2RYTJU" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Alan Bradley - fascinating, simply fascinating!</li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1500339016/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1500339016&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=QHXNTCU6ZWM54BVG">Howards End</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1500339016" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by E. M. Forster - interesting and a little odd, though our book club discussion was good and added a lot to my understanding and appreciation of it.</li>
</ul>
<b><u>February</u></b><br />
<ul><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250057833/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1250057833&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=X4YSOZ73OWQKE7J7" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1250057833&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1250057833" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250057833/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1250057833&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=X4YSOZ73OWQKE7J7">All Creatures Great and Small</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1250057833" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by James Herriot - partially read and partially listened to this one. James Herriot's animal stories are just delightful, and laugh out loud funny at times. My children played "Tricky Wu" (a dog) for a while after we listened to these. Note, there is some language, but it's British cursing, so not nearly so offensive as American (insert tongue in cheek). (-;</li>
</ul>
<b><u>March</u></b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423183096/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1423183096&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=MLYWKN2ON47X2JQV">Rose Under Fire</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1423183096" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Elizabeth Wein - This is a companion book to <i>Code Name Verity</i> which I read in 2013. It's a fascinating fictional WWII story, and I think I like this one better than the first one since there aren't such difficult moral issues to grapple with, just incredible suffering and bravery.</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/074324754X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=074324754X&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=QJM53BH7KP2VK6XL" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=074324754X&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><b><u>April</u></b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/074324754X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=074324754X&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=QJM53BH7KP2VK6XL">The Glass Castle: A Memoir</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=074324754X" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=074324754X" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Jennette Walls - Heartbreaking, yet amazing memoir of growing up in an extremely dysfunctional family - we had a good discussion at book club about this one.</li>
</ul>
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<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>May</u></b><br />
<ul><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0848813421/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0848813421&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=5F4SJ3JSGZH3NDDT" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0848813421&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0848813421" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0848813421/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0848813421&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=5F4SJ3JSGZH3NDDT">Island Magic</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0848813421" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Elizabeth Goudge - Guernsey Island is on my bucket list of literary places I'd love to visit! I don't like this one as well as <i>Green Dolphin Street</i>, but it's still charming and delightful - well-drawn characters and beautiful descriptions of the setting. There's just something about islands!</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743234928/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0743234928&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=KK74NFMZUIEZSLUJ" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0743234928&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743234928/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0743234928&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=KK74NFMZUIEZSLUJ">That Hideous Strength (Space Trilogy, Book 3)</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0743234928" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by C. S. Lewis - so interesting and insightful! This is the third time I've read it, and I learn something new every time. I really want to re-read the first two books of the space trilogy series now.</li>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0743234928" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</ul>
<b><u>June</u></b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006I1J54W/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006I1J54W&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=5GUZS43BBT2NMDKG">The Midwife's Here!: The Enchanting True Story of One of Britain's Longest Serving Midwives</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B006I1J54W" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Linda Fairley - an interesting story of a nurse/midwife in training in Manchester, England during the 1960's. I learned that abortion was legalized in Britain about 5 years before the U.S. It is so sad that a country that abolished slavery long before the Civil War, would begin to kill its unborn sooner. God have mercy.</li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141439513/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0141439513&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=U64HQQJDEFFGDGHE">Pride and Prejudice</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0141439513" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Jane Austen - it's been a long time since I read this, and I enjoyed it more than I did in high school! Definitely one to read and discuss with my daughter when she gets older as examples of wise and foolish women.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<u><b>July</b></u></div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0688117228/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0688117228&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=Q3XP746GSLODUXUQ">China Court: The Hours of a Country House</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0688117228" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i>by Rumer Godden - a fascinating unraveling of family history over 4 generations. I found the circular writing style to be a bit annoying, as the author mixed tenses and times to reveal how the past was interwoven with the present (or vice versa). The unfolding of the story was fascinating, however, and I love Rumer Godden's quiet, descriptive style.</li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312368542/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312368542&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=4SXAV7T6R7JSCGGG">A Wind in the Door</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0312368542" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i>by Madeleine L'Engle - I must confess I didn't make any notes when I read it, and now the details are gone...</li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446405159/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0446405159&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=GFGIXOHGZ74ZOAIE">The Devil's Novice: the Eighth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0446405159" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Ellis Peters - one of my favorite mystery writers. I really enjoyed returning to this series.</li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312368569/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312368569&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=S6GJXMSIVGDLSNSY">A Swiftly Tilting Planet</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0312368569" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i>by Madeleine L'Engle - same excuse as above, unfortunately.</li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KWFHAXI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00KWFHAXI&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=AGF4FO6KMZAY5PLH">Dead Man's Ransom: The Ninth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00KWFHAXI" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Ellis Peters - I've long said that the Brother Cadfael mysteries have just the right balance of mystery, wit & wisdom, and sweet romance, and this one in particular excels at all of the above!</li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385735952/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385735952&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=5W2U6S4DWAM7XR4I">Hattie Big Sky</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0385735952" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> - I checked this out for my daughter, but ended up reading it myself. It's an enjoyable and well-researched story of how a young girl faced the hard work and hardships of homesteading on the Montana prairie in the early 20th century. It's rather strange and amazing to think that one could earn one's land by homesteading only 100 years ago.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u>August</u></b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LUZNW22/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00LUZNW22&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=WBOEKHDBDU5ZHZWL">The Pilgrim of Hate: The Tenth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00LUZNW22" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Ellis Peters - I didn't enjoy this one as much as the others. Perhaps the elements of the story were just too disjointed, and it was definitely more mystical and overtly Roman Catholic than many of the other Brother Cadfael books. On the other hand, it brought back characters and circumstances from previous books, and it's always interesting to see how Peters weaves all the threads of her stories together.</li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312428545/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312428545&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=OBQYMMIE6JCY5BLH">Home: A Novel</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0312428545" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Marilynne Robinson - it's been several years since I read <i>Gilead</i>, but Marilynne Robinson's writing is as thought provoking as ever. It might have been nice to reread <i>Gilead</i> to see how the stories intersect, but this one stands alone just fine.</li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0449213447/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0449213447&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=T6ZUTSKMKJZWJX2L">The Chosen</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0449213447" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i>by Chaim Potok - I had forgotten how much I liked Potok's writing style. He thoroughly immerses you in the Jewish environment of Brooklyn at the end of the Second World War, and this is a fascinating story of two boys, two fathers, and the tensions between Hasidic and Orthodox Judaism, and the outside world.</li>
</ul>
<b><u>September</u></b><br />
<ul>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400095417/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400095417&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=DH6PMVORHAWGWJ7Z">The Promise</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1400095417" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Chaim Potok - I wanted the story of <i>The Chosen</i> to continue, so, of course, I had to read the sequel.</li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400031044/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400031044&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=LDVDVN2X354IEGSL">My Name Is Asher Lev</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1400031044" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Chaim Potok - this month's book club selection, but since this was a reread, I read the two previous titles for something new. Please don't ask me to pick my favorite Potok book.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u>October</u></b></div>
</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1567923631/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1567923631&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=3NFSFFWTYLDYIYAU" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1567923631&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><br />
<ul>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1567923631/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1567923631&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=3NFSFFWTYLDYIYAU">Lark Rise to Candleford: A Trilogy</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1567923631" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Flora Thompson<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1567923631" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
- a fascinating memoir of life in a tiny hamlet of Oxfordshire in the late 1800's. It was a hard life for the poor, but I think I would rather have been poor in a hamlet than poor in a city.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u>November</u></b></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006008460X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=006008460X&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=2IOS7L2BXFJSSJGU" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=006008460X&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006008460X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=006008460X&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=2IOS7L2BXFJSSJGU">Cheaper by the Dozen</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=006008460X" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey - this is a fun and fascinating story of a large family in the early 20th century. I really should read this aloud to my kids soon.</li>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=006008460X" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062270044/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0062270044&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=B5LBLAAE25RRH6OV">Call the Midwife: Shadows of the Workhouse</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0062270044" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Jennifer Worth - this second volume doesn't have any birth stories, but the author is a compelling writer. Some very disturbing things are dealt with tactfully, and other stories are humorous or heartwarming. This just confirmed my belief that the hardscrabble existence of a country hamlet would be far better than city slums (see comments on <i>Lark Rise to Candleford </i>above).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b><u>December</u></b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1619700654/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1619700654&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=WYS7V7ZM6HVDMTJP" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1619700654&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0544336267/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0544336267&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=NZDSU77WV24N2P75">The Giver</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0544336267" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Lois Lowry - I read this in preparation for our book club movie night - a disturbing story (I don't usually read dystopian fiction), but very powerful in its pro-life message for both old and young.</li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1619700654/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1619700654&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=WYS7V7ZM6HVDMTJP">The Bird in the Tree</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1619700654" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Elizabeth Goudge - <img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1619700654" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
Elizabeth Goudge has become one of my favorite authors over the past year or so. I'm always amazed by how it seems the plot is going in a predictable direction, and then she surprises you with the characters making unexpected, and often very difficult choices - they wrestle with genuine temptations, just like you and me. She writes with amazing insight into people and relationships, particularly marriage, which is surprising since she remained single all her life. At the same time, her beautiful descriptions make you feel as if you were sitting in the garden or the parlor right beside the characters. Highly recommended if you like a richly woven, character-driven novel.</li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1619700735/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1619700735&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkId=2IJNKCPXN664NGI7">Pilgrim's Inn</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1619700735" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> by Elizabeth Goudge - This is the second in a trilogy which seems to be alternately called "The Eliot Family Trilogy" or "The Eliots of Damerosehay series." <i>The Bird in the Tree</i> is the first. This is an amazing novel which brings the lives of several hurting people together. Instead of it being an emotional train wreck, however, there is wisdom and healing and beauty to be found. This is truly another amazing novel by one of my favorite authors.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<b><u>Read-Alouds with Kids</u></b><br />
<ul>
<li><i>Peter Duck</i> by Arthur Ransome - 3rd in the Swallows and Amazons series - a wonderful adventure crossing the Atlantic and looking for treasure in the Caribbean! There is supposedly an extra, unpublished chapter in which the author explains that this story was only made up by the Swallows and Amazons during the winter that followed the first book. My family denies that possibility and prefers to believe this story "really" happened. What? Don't you believe your favorite fictional characters are real?</li>
<li><i>Half Magic</i> by Edgar Eager - a fun and magical story with several mentions of E. Nesbit - what's not to love about that?</li>
<li><i>Harding's Luck</i> by E. Nesbit - if you've read House of Arden (which you should), you simply must read this book to get the rest of the story!</li>
<li><i>Winter Holiday</i> by Arthur Ransome - 4th in the Swallows and Amazons series - we love these books!</li>
<li><i>The Phantom Tollbooth</i> by Norton Juster- I tried this as a read-aloud, but eventually, we resorted to an audio book. It's really a fun exploration of language and puns, but can be rather confusing if you're not a word geek like me.</li>
<li><i>The Well-Wishers</i> by Edgar Eager - not so enjoyable as <i>Half Magic</i>, but still fun.</li>
<li><i>Gone-Away Lake</i> by Elizabeth Enright - we really enjoyed this summer adventure story with well-balanced characters and engaging descriptions of nature. Of course, my kids weren't really evaluating the characters and descriptions; they just liked the story!</li>
<li><i>Return to Gone-Away</i> by Elizabeth Enright - The sequel is just as much fun as the first! These books are notable that they are enjoyable for both boys and girls, and not obviously intended for either - a great family read-aloud!</li>
<li><i>Nurse Matilda</i> - these children are so naughty it's funny, but Nurse Matilda teaches them that what might seem funny for a little while is not such a laughing matter when it's out of your control. </li>
</ul>
<b><u>Audio Books</u></b><br />
We listen to books a lot at our house. Narnia and Little House series are our frequent lunchtime (or anytime) companions. Here are some others that we have enjoyed:<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Treasure Island</i> by Robert Lewis Stevenson, read by Adrian Praetzellis*</li>
<li><i>The Wind in the Willows</i> by , read by Adrian Pratzellis*</li>
<li><i>All Creatures Great and Small</i> by James Herriot</li>
<li><i>All Things Bright and Beautiful</i> by James Herriot</li>
<li><i>All Things Wise and Wonderful</i> by James Herriot</li>
<li><i>Captains Courageous</i> by Rudyard Kipling, read by</li>
<li><i>Harry Potter</i> Series (yes, all of them) by J. K. Rowling, read by - My daughter had read the first 5 books, and we were only listening to the audio version after she had finished reading each one. Then we gave up and just finished listening to numbers 6 & 7. I'm just a little bit of a Harry Potter fan: I have a Golden Snitch on my car antenna, and I'd really like a time turner key chain. ( :</li>
<li><i>Little Britches: Father & I Were Ranchers,</i> <i>Man of the Family, Mary Emma & Company</i> by Ralph Moody - you just can't do better than these stories for family listening in the car or anytime!</li>
</ul>
*Adrian Praetzellis is one of the best readers on Librivox, in my opinion. Just start listening to <i>The Wind in the Willows</i>, and you'll be hooked! "Oh, Ratty!"Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-23489752255860864562014-06-11T00:01:00.000-04:002014-06-11T00:19:03.249-04:00Books Read in 2013(updated June 2014)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Links are to reviews (only a few) or Amazon.</i></span><br />
<br />
January<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0253204585/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0253204585&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0253204585&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/02/l-m-mongomery-challenge-completed.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Christmas with Anne</a> by L. M. Montgomery, edited by Rea Wilmshurst<br />
<i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/03/yikes-its-almost-spring.html" target="_blank">Laddie</a></i> by Gene Stratton-Porter<br />
<i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/02/l-m-mongomery-challenge-completed.html" target="_blank">The Story Girl</a></i> by L. M. Montgomery<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
February<br />
<a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/03/catching-up-again-february-2013-reading.html" target="_blank"><i>Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting</i></a> by Michael Perry<br />
<a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/03/catching-up-again-february-2013-reading.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love</i></a> by Kristen Kimball<br />
<br />
March<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423152883/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1423152883&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1423152883&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/04/code-name-verity-thoughts-and-quotes.html" target="_blank">Code Name Verity</a></i> by Elizabeth Wein<br />
<i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0840765975/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0840765975&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20%22%3EBogwoppit%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0840765975%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Bogwoppit</a></i> by Ursula Moray Williams - one of my favorite books from childhood!<br />
<i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/038534404X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=038534404X&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20%22%3ESpeaking%20from%20Among%20the%20Bones:%20A%20Flavia%20de%20Luce%20Novel%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=038534404X%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Speaking from Among the Bones</a></i> by Alan Bradley<br />
<i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000K6M38Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000K6M38Q&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20%22%3EThe%20Golden%20Road%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000K6M38Q%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">The Golden Road</a></i> by L. M. Montgomery<br />
<i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0803281781/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0803281781&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20%22%3ELittle%20Britches:%20Father%20and%20I%20Were%20Ranchers%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0803281781%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Little Britches</a></i> by Ralph Moody<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0253204585" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />April<br />
<i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/05/no-name-by-wilkie-collins.html" target="_blank">No Name</a></i> by Wilkie Collins<br />
<i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060688246/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0060688246&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20%22%3EA%20Severe%20Mercy%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0060688246%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">A Severe Mercy</a></i> by Sheldon Vanauken - a bit too idealistic for pragmatic ideas of romance, but it made for really good book club discussion.<br />
<br />
May<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433522268/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1433522268&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1433522268&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/05/lit-christian-book-worth-reading.html" target="_blank">Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books</a></i> by Tony Reinke<br />
<i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743262174/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0743262174&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20%22%3ECry,%20the%20Beloved%20Country%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0743262174%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Cry, the Beloved Country</a> </i>by Alan Paton<br />
<i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064404773/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0064404773&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20%22%3EBeauty:%20A%20Retelling%20of%20the%20Story%20of%20Beauty%20and%20the%20Beast%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0064404773%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast</a></i> by Robin McKinley - fairy tales for vacation reading! I really liked this one, but the next one was only so-so.<br />
<i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142427616/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142427616&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20%22%3ECurse%20of%20the%20Thirteenth%20Fey:%20The%20True%20Tale%20of%20Sleeping%20Beauty%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0142427616%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">The Curse of the Thirteenth Fey: the True Tale of Sleeping Beauty</a></i> by Jane Yolen<br />
<br />
<br />
June<br />
<i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061043583/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061043583&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20%22%3EUnnatural%20Death%20(Lord%20Peter%20Wimsey%20Mysteries)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061043583%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Unnatual Death</a></i> by Dorothy Sayers<br />
<i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446404292/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0446404292&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20%22%3ESanctuary%20Sparrow%20(Chronicles%20of%20Brother%20Cadfael)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0446404292%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">The Sanctuary Sparrow</a></i> by Ellis Peters<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1496026977/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1496026977&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Anna Karenina</a></i> [Books 1-2] by Leo Tolstoy<br />
<br />
July<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1496026977/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1496026977&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Anna Karenina</a></i> [Books 3-5] by Leo Tolstoy<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143123254/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0143123254&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0143123254" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i>by Jennifer Worth<br />
<i><br /></i>
August<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1496026977/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1496026977&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Anna Karenina</a> </i>[Books 6-8] by Leo Tolstoy<br />
<br />
September<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002EPNHHW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002EPNHHW&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B002EPNHHW&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002EPNHHW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002EPNHHW&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Notes From The Tilt-A-Whirl: Wide-Eyed Wonder in God's Spoken World</a></i> by N. D. Wilson - Not everyone will like N. D. Wilson's style, but I love it - this was an amazing book to remind me of the sovereign character of God. I used to have deep thoughts like this, and it was refreshing to follow his stream of consciousness reflecting upon the greatness of our God!<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1499709153/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1499709153&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Heidi</a> </i>by Johanna Spryi<br />
<br />
October<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0806113286/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0806113286&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains</a></i> by Isabella Bird - true confession: I didn't finish it. It was for our book club, and I got about halfway through before we met and just wasn't interested enough to finish it.<br />
<br />
November<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1598568876/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1598568876&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">The Dean's Watch</a></i> by Elizabeth Goudge - Goudge writes such quiet, beautiful tales with excellent character development.<br />
<br />
December<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142300268/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142300268&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Linnets and Valerians</a> </i>by Elizabeth Goudge - As much as I love Goudge's adult novels, her children's books just aren't quite the same. There's something a little sinister about the magic in them. They aren't just fanciful, fantastic tales such as E. Nesbit writes. Maybe the magic is too realistic, too close to actually being voodoo or witchcraft, but at any rate they always leave me a bit unsettled about whether I like it or not, and reserved about recommending them.<br />
<br />
Chapter books read-aloud to kids:<br />
<i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/03/yikes-its-almost-spring.html" target="_blank">Treasures of the Snow</a></i> by Patricia St. John<br />
<i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/03/yikes-its-almost-spring.html" target="_blank">The Indian in the Cupboard</a></i> by Lynne Reid Banks<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932168265/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1932168265&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Susan Creek</a></i> by Douglas Wilson<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1590171012/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1590171012&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">The Magic Pudding</a> </i>by Norman Lindsay - We didn't like this one much at all, or we're just too far removed from turn-of-the-20th-century Australian humor and vocabulary to really get it. Oh, well.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1590172027/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1590172027&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1590172027&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140367438/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0140367438&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">The Enchanted Castle</a> </i>by E. Nesbit<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1590172027/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1590172027&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">The House of Arden</a></i> by E. Nesbit - Wonderful, wonderful book! One of our favorite authors, and one of her best books - a wonderful adventure with magic, time travel, and treasure!<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375855238/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0375855238&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">The Return of the Indian</a></i> by Lynne Reid Banks<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312371438/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312371438&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Abel's Island</a></i> by William Steig - We found this a bit tedious.<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932168664/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1932168664&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Two Williams</a> </i>by Douglas Wilson<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BIPOJUI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BIPOJUI&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00BIPOJUI&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1567924212/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1567924212&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Swallowdale</a> </i>by Arthur Ransome - the second of the <i>Swallows and Amazons</i> series (we listened to an audio version of the first one. My whole family loves their adventures, and it makes me wish childhood could be like this again with a good balance of responsibility, freedom, and adventure.<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152025057/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0152025057&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Ginger Pye</a> </i>by Eleanor EstesHeather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-75087116052699303802013-05-17T22:13:00.000-04:002013-05-18T09:40:47.752-04:00No Name by Wilkie Collins<a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2012/12/reading-to-know-book-club-2013.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Reading to Know - Book Club" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tnEcSJbDLy8XdKBwPuhvkZQR854gOsm9oVH4MsPnitSg_bI4WrTQnAcY8RLYAvjycV4njTRYWy0VI2JMQEGNVYMpDYd-e9LSS0_NMx5V_pT9gqIfmJ3TInVLl1xCXXCBsAyAIX6xwf1C/s400/bookclub.jpg" style="height: 150px; width: 150px;" /></a><a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/" target="_blank">Carrie</a> hosts the <a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2012/12/reading-to-know-book-club-2013.html" target="_blank">Reading to Know Book Club</a> each month, and there is a great line-up of children's and adult classics this year! Since I've read and enjoyed both <a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2010/01/woman-in-white-by-wilkie-collins.html" target="_blank"><i>The Woman in White</i></a> (linked to my review) and <i>The Moonstone</i> by Wilkie Collins, when <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1438278330/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1438278330&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">No Name</a> </i>was chosen for the April selection, I decided to join the fun. I did actually finish it at least a week before the end of April, but I'm late, as usual, to the party when it comes to writing my summary post. Such is life.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1438278330/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1438278330&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1438278330&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1438278330" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><i>No Name</i> is quite different from the other two Collins titles that I have read. Where the other novels were full of plot twists and surprises, this novel seemed overly predictable to me, at least in the overarching plot. But in spite of the fact that it wasn't too difficult to guess the characters' purposes or designs, it was very interesting to see the details of the story unfold. I still think that Collins is a masterful storyteller, and I would choose him over Dickens any day!<br />
<div>
<br />
This story begins as a seemingly benign tale of domestic life, focusing on the Vanstone family: a benevolent and cheerful father, a weak (sickly) but loving mother, a reserved and proper older daughter Norah, and a frivolous, carefree younger daughter Magdalen. When the fortunes of the family suddenly change and leave the two daughters penniless orphans, it is not difficult to predict how the two young women will react to their reduced circumstances. Norah accepts her lot with quiet dignity and strives to make the best use of the opportunities at hand, while Magdalen starts plotting revenge on the estranged relative who took advantage of the letter of the law for his own gain.<br />
<br />
In her quest for revenge and vindication, Magdalen unflinchingly weaves a complex web of deception, though she is always just one small circumstance away from detection. She obtains the ends she desires, but at great cost to her principles and character.* As one would expect, she does not find happiness or satisfaction. Eventually, all her tangled web unravels, leaving her in even more dire straits than before: friendless, poor, and ill. At this point, Collins reintroduces a minor character, who, predictably arrives at the opportune moment to save Magdalen from the poorhouse and from herself.<br />
<br />
Yes, the details all fall into place a little too perfectly in both her demise and her restoration, but in spite of the predictability and idealism of a happy ending, I was struck by an overwhelming picture of grace as it drew to a close. This novel is a prime example of the point made in my <a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/05/lit-christian-book-worth-reading.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> regarding how the wretchedness of sin is sometimes necessary for the brilliance of grace to shine forth. I don't know if this was what Collins intended, but I can't help but think that it would have been obvious to his readers in the more culturally Christian mindset of the Victorian era. Even more pointedly, I realized in retrospect, that all that predictability really served to reveal my own propensity to sin. If I could so easily predict Magdalen's thirst for revenge and the downward path she would so doggedly pursue, it clearly shows that I could be capable of the same thing. There, but for the grace of God, go I.<br />
<br />
So, while I enjoyed Collins' well-crafted story and unique characters, this novel proved to be more than just an entertaining period piece. Once again, classic literature reveals a depth and wisdom that is rooted in a Christian worldview (whether that was Collins' personal faith or simply a product of a largely Christian culture, I don't know), that is so often lacking in more modern novels. So if you're looking for an intriguing novel, I would recommend <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1438278330/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1438278330&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>No Name</i></a> - it's easy enough for summer (or anytime) reading, but will give you plenty to ponder if you choose! (It's even available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/No-Name-ebook/dp/B000JMLKSK/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1368853623&sr=8-1" target="_blank">free for Kindle</a>, which is the format in which I read it.)<br />
<br />
*Note: This is not a typical "fallen woman" story in the sense that Magdalen loses her purity, but she certainly compromises her moral character with the lies she must propagate to work her revenge. </div>
Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-8236369610978197862013-05-12T22:49:00.000-04:002013-05-13T00:24:35.232-04:00Lit! A Christian Book Worth Reading!<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433522268/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1433522268&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1433522268&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a>When it comes to Christian books, I usually prefer titles that are 100+ years old to something published recently, but after <a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/" target="_blank">Carrie</a> highly recommended <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433522268/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1433522268&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books</i></a>, not <a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2011/12/lit-lost-art-of-reading-week-in-words.html" target="_blank">once</a>, but <a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2013/01/lit-christian-guide-to-reading-books-by.html" target="_blank">twice</a> (click the links to read her reviews), I thought it might be worth looking into. Add to that a book club discussion about how to choose, read, discuss, and interpret books for ourselves and with our children, and it seemed like the opportune time to give this subject some further thought.<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1433522268" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
Tony Reinke devotes roughly the first half of the book to establishing a theological basis for reading, which I appreciated both for its succinctness and accuracy. His review of the main tenets of our Christian faith, though brief, reminded me of why I chose to study theology - it's just amazing to contemplate God and His work in mankind and the world! The fact that God chose to reveal Himself in the written Word not only establishes the preeminence of Scripture in the Christian's life, but also suggests the importance of words and books on a more general sphere. They are a powerful means of communicating truth (or error), and Reinke deftly answers most objections and excuses that Christians might make about reading (not that I have that problem), making a strong case for the reading of Scripture, first and foremost, but also a wide variety of other books that can contribute to our spiritual growth and enjoyment.<br />
<br />
Reinke's chapters are well-organized, often providing several points at the outset upon which he elaborates throughout the chapter. One example of this is his chapter on "Reading with Resolve" in which he identifies and explains six priorities by which he determines what to read. I appreciated that he included fiction under the heading of "Reading to Kindle Spiritual Reflection," recognizing that great literature, including many classics (such as Dostoyevsky and the Chronicles of Narnia) and poetry (such as John Donne or Chaucer), can illustrate the biblical truths of sin, grace, and redemption and truly contribute to our Christian understanding and spiritual growth (98-99).<br />
<br />
For a decade or more while I pursued higher education, I read non-fiction almost exclusively, specifically works by dead theologians, for whom I have the utmost affection and respect. But upon finishing my studies and succumbing to the ready excuse of Mommy-brain, the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction, and my reading has for several years consisted mainly of fiction, tending towards the classics, but including some good fantasy, mysteries, historical fiction, and an occasional biography, too. At times, I've felt that this was rather a guilty pleasure, even if I was reading "good" books (mostly - there have been a few duds, but I won't dwell on those). Reinke's exposition of theology and priorities in reading, however, helped me to see how much my theological studies have informed my reading of fiction. Though I can get caught up in a good story, at times, I realized that I am almost always looking for and evaluating stories in terms of creation, fall (sin), redemption, and restoration. I guess that education wasn't for nothing! Though I still think I should return to the dead theologians more frequently, it was also encouraging to realize that I have been reading and evaluating my fictional choices through a biblical framework. Praise God for His mercies!<br />
<br />
I also found Reinke's discussion of sin in literature to be particularly insightful, as our book club had recently discussed why we would reject a modern thriller full of vice and deception but might find value in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143035002/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0143035002&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>Anna Karenina</i></a>. Reinke was able to explain what I had failed to articulate clearly:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"[T]he <i>appearance of sin</i> in a book does not mean the author is <i>approving of sin</i>. . . God's 'amazing grace' is especially displayed when it 'saves a wretch.' To some degree, the author must paint a picture of the wretchedness of sin in order for grace to emerge in its brilliance. Thus, grace-filled literature is often not 'clean' literature. . .On the one side of the road, we cannot merely shut our eyes to depictions of sin and evil in literature. We find depictions of evil in the Bible. On the other side of the road, we cannot affirm fiction that glorifies sin or applauds unbelief." (124) </blockquote>
Exactly! This is one reason that I am happy to be reading the classics at this point in my life when I missed many of them in high school. I really don't think I would have had the maturity, life experience, or spiritual discernment to appreciate them at a younger age, which gives me pause as I consider how we will incorporate some of these classics in my children's education as they get older. It is my hope that my children would enjoy reading great books enough to revisit them at various stages of life, but I will need to be especially careful to present them with enthusiasm and make sure they are more than just an academic exercise.<br />
<br />
I also really enjoyed the multitude of rich quotations from other authors. It is apparent that Reinke has himself read widely and well and thoroughly researched his subject matter. Here are a few of my favorite quotations.<br />
<br />
Cornelius Plantinga on Calvin's use of non-Christian literature (from <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802839819/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0802839819&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Engaging God's World: A Christian Vision of Faith, Learning, and Living</a></i>):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Calvin understood that God created human beings to hunt and gather truth, and that, as a matter of fact, the capacity for doing so amounts to one feature of the image of God in them (Col. 3:10). So Calvin fed on knowledge as gladly as a deer on sweet corn. He absorbed not only the teaching of Scripture and of its great interpreters, such as St. Augustine, but also whatever knowledge he could gather from such famous pagans as the Roman philosopher Seneca. And why not? The Holy Spirit authors all truth, as Calvin wrote, and we should therefore embrace it no matter where it shows up. But we will need solid instruction in Scripture and Christian wisdom in order to recognize truth and in order to disentangle it from error and fraud. Well-instructed Christians try not to offend the Holy Spirit by scorning truth in non-Christian authors over whom the Spirit has been brooding, but this does not mean that Christians can afford to read these authors uncritically. After all, a person's faith, even in idols, shapes most of what a person thinks and writes, and the Christian faith is in competition with other faiths for human hearts and minds. (77)</blockquote>
C. S. Lewis on the imagination as<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
a God-given ability to receive truth and meaning. . ."For me <i>reason</i> is the natural organ of truth; but <i>imagination</i> is the organ of meaning." Using fantasy in literature does not make a story fictitious; it's often a more forceful way to communicate truth. (87)</blockquote>
Harold Bloom on why people read classic literature (from <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684859076/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0684859076&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">How to Read and Why</a></i>):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We read deeply for varied reasons, most of them familiar: that we cannot know enough people profoundly enough, that we need to know ourselves better; that we require knowledge, not just of self and others, but of the way things are. Yet the strongest, most authentic motive for deep reading. . .is the search for a difficult pleasure. (104)</blockquote>
I could continue to illustrate the insights and practical wisdom of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433522268/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1433522268&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Lit!</a>, but I think I should simply encourage you to buy this book and read it for yourself. Yes, you <i>will</i> want to buy it. I borrowed it from the library, but quickly found myself frustrated that I could not mark significant passages. Not to worry, though - I already plan to reread it (perhaps yearly or biannually), and by that time I hope to have my own copy to highlight as I would like!Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-45826563273958725922013-04-26T22:49:00.000-04:002013-04-27T21:37:43.839-04:00Code Name Verity - Thoughts and Quotes<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423152883/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1423152883&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1423152883&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423152883/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1423152883&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Code Name Verity</a> </i>by Elizabeth Wein was published about a year ago (but I'm linking to the soon to be released paperback because I like the cover <i>so</i> much better than last year's hardcover), and after reading several glowing reviews on other blogs, I added it to my mental TBR list and finally got to it in March. I really like WWII stories, and though that seems rather sensationalist or gruesome on the face of it, I do have more thoughtful reasons. Not only are the stories of suffering and survival amazing and often inspiring, but there are so many facets to that historical time period - so many different experiences in so many different places - that I always learn more than I expected. Perhaps that's it: there is always something unexpected to discover in every WWII account, whether fiction or non-fiction. <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423152883/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1423152883&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Code Name Verity</a></i> is certainly no exception to my experience of finding the unexpected and learning new things in WWII literature!<br />
<br />
So I came to this story with just a little bit of foreknowledge since the reviews I had read were careful to avoid spoilers. All I knew as I started reading was that it was an amazing story of friendship and involved flying. To be perfectly honest, I almost gave up on it, and even told a friend who likes YA literature not to bother, because at the outset it seemed to be only a thinly veiled propaganda in support of women in combat, to which I am categorically opposed. Take this quotation, for example:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Maddie cowered next to him, her arms over her head, listening to the hideous rattle of the gunner sucking air into blood-filled lungs. Queenie slapped her.<br />
'Get up, girl!' she ordered. 'I won't have this. I'm your superior officer giving orders now. Get up, Brodatt. If you're scared, <i>do something</i>. See if you can make this gun work. Get moving!'<br />
'The shell needs to be loaded first,' the gunner whispered, lifting a finger to point. 'The Prime Minister don't like girls firing guns.'<br />
'Bother the Prime Minister!' exclaimed the superior officer. 'Load the...gun, Brodatt.'" (65-66)</blockquote>
But I kept reading, and found this rebuttal late in the book (Maddie, Brodatt, and Kittyhawk all refer to the same young female pilot):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"'It is a pity we cannot keep you, Kittyhawk,' said the man whose house it was. 'You were born to be a soldier.'<br />
Huh. Makes me quite puffed up with pride and yet fills me with scorn all at the same time - what rubbish! I wasn't born to be a soldier. There's a war on, so I'm delivering airplanes. But I don't go looking for adventure or excitement, and I jolly well don't go around picking fights with people. I like making things work. I <i>love</i> flying." (270)</blockquote>
So my first objection was resolved. But then there were the moral dilemmas the two friends, Maddie and Queenie, faced by their involvement, however direct or indirect, in the war effort. Let me clarify that I do believe that WWII was a just and necessary war, but the atrocities of war are not meant to be faced by women. Maddie and Queenie realize this as they talk about their fears and their roles of pilot and special intelligence officer.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"'Not doing my job properly,' Maddie explained. 'Failing to live up to expectations.'<br />
'A bit like my fear of killing someone,' Queenie said, 'but less specific.'<br />
'It could include killing someone,' said Maddie.<br />
'It could.' Queenie was sober now. 'Unless you were doing them a favor by killing them. Then you'd let them down if you <i>didn't</i>. If you couldn't make yourself. My great-uncle had horrible cancers in his throat and he'd been to America twice to have the tumors taken out and they kept coming back, and finally he asked his wife to kill him, and she did. She wasn't charged with anything - it was recorded as a shooting accident, believe it or not, but she was my grandmother's sister, and we all know the truth.'<br />
'How <i>horrible</i>,' Maddie said, with feeling. 'How terrible for her! But - yes. You'd have to live with that selfishness afterward, if you couldn't make yourself do it. Yes, I'm dead afraid of that.'" (77)</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"'I'm not blameless,' said Maddie. 'Every bomber I deliver goes operational and kills people. Civilians. People like my gran and grandad. Children. Just because I don't do it myself doesn't mean I'm not responsible. I deliver <i>you</i>.'<br />
'Blond bombshell,' Queenie said, and sputtered with laughter at her own joke. Then she began to cry." (165)</blockquote>
I will try to avoid spoilers also, so I can't say more about the moral dilemmas other than the fact that they become even more intense and personal as the narrative progresses.<br />
<br />
In spite of these initial hesitations, however, I must say that I soon became thoroughly captivated by this story. It is amazingly well-crafted - right up there with Lord Peter mysteries by Dorothy Sayers, in my mind. It's not a mystery, <i>per se</i>, but the truth is only revealed slowly, and there were several plot twists that I did not expect. The story-telling device is unique, but not difficult to follow. The writing style was not particularly noteworthy, but neither was it annoying (a welcome relief), and there were several passages that I found particularly moving.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"'I'm looking for verity.'...<br />
'Truth,' I said at last, in English.<br />
'Truth,' she agreed...<br />
'Verity,' I said in English...Then gasped: "'Truth is the daughter of time, not authority.'" And: "'This above all, to thine own self be true.'" I gibbered a bit, I confess. 'Verity! I am the soul of verity.' I laughed so wildly then, that the Hauptsturmfuhrer had to clear his throat to remind me to control myself. 'I am the soul of verity,' I repeated. '<i>Je suis l'esprit de verite</i>.'" (131)</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Now they were over the ghostly white cliffs of eastern Normandy. The Seine's loops shone like a great unwinding spool of silver mesh off the port wingtip. Maddie gasped a the river's inadvertent loveliness, and all at once she found herself spilling childish tears, not just for her own blessed island, but for all of Europe. How could everthing have come so fearfully and thoroughly unraveled?<br />
There were no lights over France; it was as blacked out as Britain. Europe's lamps had all gone out." (157)</blockquote>
Then, as usual, I found fascinating bits of WWII information, such as the perpetual use of Daylight Savings Time in England during the war (apparently this was true in America, too).<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"In fact Maddie didn't fly at night for a while after she'd clocked the hours and had her logbook stamped, and she had a difficult time keeping in practice because she used it so little. Since 1940 we have not come off daylight-saving at all, and in summer it is double, which means for a whole month it doesn't get dark till nearly midnight." (139)</blockquote>
Even with all my mixed impressions as I read this book, I would definitely recommend it to an older teen or adult reader. The moral perplexities would be too intense for a younger reader, in my opinion. Is it an amazing WWII story? Yes, absolutely! The author's research is evident, and she has written a very plausible, though fictional, tale. It is incredibly well-crafted, and I do love a well-crafted story where all the pieces fall into place one by one. Do I agree with the actions of the characters? No, on principle I don't, but I can recognize and sympathize with the impossible situations and moral conundrums with which those who opposed the evils of Nazi Germany were faced.Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-67931088254838787792013-03-30T22:36:00.000-04:002013-03-31T23:39:33.846-04:00Catching Up Again: February 2013 ReadingFarm memoirs were the order of the day for February. I'm always hopeful that reading about gardening or farming will inspire me to be a bit more enthusiastic about outdoor endeavors, but alas, it does not seem to help. I like doing stuff with produce, but I don't like the process of getting it to my kitchen. Digging in the dirt does not satisfy something deep within me - it just dries out my hands, and makes me dirty, sweaty, and grumpy, to be perfectly honest.<br />
<br />
Well, the farm memoirs I read were at least honest - no glossing over the dirt, sweat, and tears, and no idyllic vision of a simpler life as one might conclude from reading <i>Laddie</i>. Whether it was the hobby farm of Michael Perry or the all-inclusive, self-sustaining project of Essex Farm, the message was clear that work - hard, physical labor - is involved in any farming venture. And I was quite happy to be reading about it from the comfort of my couch and cozy, down blanket in February, when at least I didn't have to feel guilty for not pulling weeds!<br />
<br />
Well, I should stop rambling and making excuses for my laziness and tell you about the books, which aside from the barn, chickens, and author's picture on the cover, are really quite different.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061240435/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061240435&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0061240435&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a>I really wasn't sure I would finish <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061240435/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061240435&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting</i></a>, but various things kept stringing me along - a home birth story (told from a man's perspective, so not that interesting), an impromptu visit to our local Children's Museum with no other reading options, the death of the author's nephew, with which I empathized having had two friends lose babies last year. But all told, I didn't like the author's rambling style in writing or homesteading. Carrie had a different opinion when she <a href="http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/1369/coop/" target="_blank">reviewed it</a> a few years ago, but I didn't quite see the model of manhood that she did. I appreciate that the author is honest with his shortcomings as a husband, father, and provider, but it came off more as false humility than true repentance, and I'm not sure that's a model worth emulating. (Sorry, Carrie - we usually see eye to eye on a lot of things, but not this one. I hope we can still be friends!)<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416551611/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1416551611&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1416551611&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a>I wasn't sure I would like<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061240435" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416551611/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1416551611&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love</i></a> either, but I turned out to be pleasantly surprised. <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1416551611" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />I liked the author's writing style, and it was fascinating to hear of all that she and her fiance experienced in a year of making a rundown, neglected piece of land in upstate New York a productive farm and a home. While I didn't agree with some of the moral choices she made on her way to the altar, she didn't glory in them or present them in lurid detail. As I mentioned before, it was mostly about hard, physical work, with love and humor on the side, all giving the impression of a very full and satisfying life. If I lived near Essex, I might consider becoming a part of their CSA - it would be worth it for someone else to dig in the dirt!<br />
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Our read-aloud time somehow slipped away in February, but we did enjoy the second in Douglas Wilson's Maritime series: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932168265/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1932168265&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Susan Creek</a></i>. As I mentioned before, I plan to discuss the whole series after we finish reading the third one, but for now, I'll just say that both my kids really liked <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932168265/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1932168265&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Susan Creek</a></i>, and I really like the values, history, and theology that are incorporated so seamlessly in a good story. Thank you, Doug Wilson!Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-87722568795714381102013-03-14T22:24:00.000-04:002013-03-15T00:14:30.791-04:00Yikes! It's Almost Spring!Well, so much for my good intentions of keeping up with blogging this year. It's <strike>almost March</strike> now mid-March, and I haven't posted about my other January reading yet, not to mention February. Oh, dear!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0253204585/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0253204585&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0253204585&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a>I already mentioned my <a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/02/l-m-mongomery-challenge-completed.html" target="_blank">L. M. Montgomery reading</a>, so I won't reiterate that. My other personal reading in January consisted of rereading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0253204585/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0253204585&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>Laddie: A True Blue Story</i></a> by Gene Stratton-Porter.<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0253204585" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
I first read this book in 2010, and you can read my original thoughts and some really good quotations <a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2010/06/laddie-true-blue-story-by-gene-stratton.html" target="_blank">here</a>. It was well worth rereading, and I'm so glad a friend picked it for our book club selection. We were amazed by the work ethic and self-sufficiency of this 19th century farm family - how many chickens would they have had to have to put on a spread like that every Sunday and for special occasions like a wedding? We were also saddened by the many changes that came to the real-life Stratton family soon after happy ending for the Stanton family of the book. As I mentioned in my earlier review, <i>Laddie</i> is the most autobiographical novel of Gene Stratton-Porter's, and it really is a true blue story when you understand it in the context of her and her family's life. I'm really looking forward to reading this one aloud to my kids and rereading it again myself in years to come - it's that good!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0854218823/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0854218823&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0854218823&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a>As for reading aloud to the kids, we were off to a good start this year. We finished two books in January: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0854218823/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0854218823&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>Treasures of the Snow</i></a> by Patricia St. John and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375847537/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0375847537&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>The Indian in the Cupboard</i></a> by Lynne Reid Banks. Both were received with great enthusiasm! <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0854218823/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0854218823&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Treasures of the Snow</a> </i>engendered some thought-provoking, faith-building questions from my 5-year-old, and I could see my 8-year-old's mental wheels turning, too. While we enjoy a wide variety of books, I don't mind reading something overtly Christian and morally didactic every so often, because such stories can give my children concrete examples of our faith that is, more often than not, communicated abstractly, in spite of our best efforts to help them understand their sinfulness and need of Savior. I would highly recommend this one for your family read-alouds, too!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375847537/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0375847537&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0375847537&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a>The whole family, including Daddy, enjoyed the imaginative fantasy of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375847537/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0375847537&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">The Indian in the Cupboard</a></i>. We discussed what we would like to make real if we had a magic cupboard. My daughter and I thought a Victorian family that could live in a dollhouse would be fun. My son has a plastic Indian, so he wanted one just like the book. And my husband tried to think of something more lucrative, such as a goose that would lay golden eggs, even if the eggs were only the size of a pinhead! My kids are looking forward to reading other books in this series, but I learned from the Chester Cricket books, and we will be spreading them out over a good long time, not reading them all at once.Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-29704822396116240322013-02-01T22:34:00.000-05:002013-02-02T00:45:09.952-05:00L. M. Mongomery Challenge Completed!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2013/01/lm-montgomery-reading-challenge-2013.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="L. M. Montgomery Reading Challenge" border="0" src="http://www.bluecastlephoto.com/misc/lmm-challenge.gif" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2012/12/reading-to-know-book-club-2013.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0385322887" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />This year, I actually read what I had planned, finishing both <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385322887/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385322887&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>Christmas with Anne</i></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1603862757/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1603862757&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>The Story Girl</i></a> in the month of January, and, wonder of wonders, I'm posting it before the end of February!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385322887/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385322887&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0385322887&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><i style="font-style: italic;">Christmas with Anne</i><i> </i>is a delightful collection of short stories which mostly focus on the Christmas season (obviously) though there are three New Year's stories at the end to round out the holiday spirit. I justified reading this in January because we didn't put up any Christmas decorations until a few days before Christmas, and they were still up into the first week of January. So at least it still looked like Christmas at my house when I started reading this!<br />
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In typical Mongomery fashion, every story has a heartwarming message, ranging from discovering happiness in giving to others, forgiveness of long-estranged family members (often through humorous mishaps), or just good, old-fashioned family values and traditions. This is one I wouldn't mind re-reading every few years, and I'm sure my daughter will enjoy it soon, too, as she loves stories about "real" people! For additional thoughts, including the interesting account of how the editor, Rea Wilmshurst, happened upon these and many other short stories of Montgomery's, see Carrie's posts on this title <a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2008/12/christmas-with-anne-by-lucy-maud.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2012/12/christmas-with-anne-by-lm-montgomery.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<i></i><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1603862757/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1603862757&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1603862757&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><i><i><br /></i></i>I must confess that <i>The Story Girl</i> was a bit of a disappointment, but I suppose my expectations were pretty high. For some reason, it just didn't quite have the charm or appeal of the Anne or Emily books, I still have a long way to go before I've read all of Montgomery's novels, but I was struck at first by the fact that the narrator is a boy, simply because I hadn't encountered that in her writing before (aside from a few short stories). Granted, he's simply relating the adventures of eight children during one summer and fall, so there's really nothing gender specific about it. But while Mongomery's picturesque descriptions and quaint turns of phrase seem natural coming from Anne or Emily, it struck me a little odd that even a 19th or early 20th century teenage boy, or even a man retrospectively describing the best summer of his childhood, would describe the change of seasons in such terms as "though summer was not yet gone, her face was turned westering. The asters lettered her retreating footsteps in a purple script, and over the hills and valleys hung a faint blue smoke, as if Nature were worshipping at her woodland altar."<br />
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I also found this narrative a bit disjointed, as if it were more a collection of short stories involving the same characters without some overarching plot. Perhaps that is what Montgomery intended - just snippets of life on a Prince Edward Island farm from the perspective of young cousins and friends. Of course, by the end, I had developed a certain affection for those characters, and I do plan to read the sequel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1406821780/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1406821780&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>The Golden Road</i></a>, soon. I also enjoyed the fact that I was able to recall a few scenes the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000T2DK1A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000T2DK1A&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>Road to Avonlea</i></a> series that I watched a few years ago, which reminds me that I need to check that out from the library again!<br />
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Now, I must also share that I am very excited about next year's challenge due to some propitious finds through <a href="http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=1&r_by=pageturner2">PaperBackSwap</a> and our library's book sale (yes, we really love our library and make very good use of it!). Although many L. M. Montgomery books are free for the Kindle, and I do enjoy the portability and ease of marking favorite passages which my Kindle affords, there's still something so satisfying about opening a book, of remembering where a certain passage lies on the page, of flipping back and forth to clarify details, etc. So I'm thrilled to have found these books, and I have a feeling you'll be seeing at least a few of them on my line-up for next year.<br />
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Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-14704676116264073222013-01-31T23:59:00.004-05:002013-02-01T22:27:53.750-05:00Out of the reading funk - December 2012Well, I'm still catching up from last year, but I got this posted just in the nick of time (one minute to spare!) to write up my December reads in January. Bear with me. I might catch up or even stay current eventually.<br />
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November found me in the grips of a serious reading funk (which I mentioned <a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/12/fall-reading-catch-up-edition.html" target="_blank">here</a>). I thought perhaps it was the format in which I was reading, since I read several books in a row on my Kindle. But I'm currently doing that again, and it hasn't forestalled my progress, so I'm left to conclude that <i>Three Men in a Boat</i> is simply funk-inducing. My sincerest apologies to Jerome K. Jerome fans, but I just don't get it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553575384/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0553575384&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0553575384&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0553575384" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Interestingly enough, the book that jump-started my reading energies was the very book in preparation for which I read <i>Three Men in a Boat. </i>Oh, the irony! I loved <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553575384/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0553575384"><i>To Say Nothing of the Dog</i></a> by Connie Willis! Mystery, time travel, history (both WWII and Victorian era), lots of literary references, and a little tasteful romance - perfect! I must say that it was completely unnecessary to have read <i>Three Men in a Boat</i> in order to enjoy and understand this book. In fact, if any books would be helpful to understand the plot, it would be Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, particularly those with Harriet Vane, and those certainly <i>are</i> worth reading, as you can surmise from my glowing reviews <a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2009/08/strong-poison-by-dorothy-sayers.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2009/08/have-his-carcase-by-dorothy-sayers.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2009/08/gaudy-night-by-dorothy-sayers.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2009/10/busmans-honeymoon-by-dorothy-l-sayers.html" target="_blank">here</a>!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1604594527/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1604594527&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1604594527&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1604594527" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />After a homeschooling friend mentioned George MacDonald's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375413359/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0375413359" style="font-style: italic;">At the Back of the North Wind</a>, I decided to refresh my memory of this fantasy tale by one of my favorite authors. I love George MacDonald's novels because they are Scottish and full of the sovereignty of God. His adult fantasy novels are more difficult to understand and appreciate (you can read my thoughts on <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2009/01/lillith-by-george-macdonald.html" target="_blank">Lilith</a></i>, for example), but his children's fantasy is generally sweet, good, and uplifting, if a bit heavy-handed in moralizing (see my reviews of <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2009/05/princess-and-goblin-by-george-macdonald.html" target="_blank">The Princess and the Goblin</a></i> and <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2009/05/princess-and-curdie-by-george-macdonald.html" target="_blank">The Princess and Curdie</a></i>). <i>At the Back of the North Wind</i> falls somewhere in between fantasy and fiction, for there are parts that are most certainly dream-like and mystical (and a bit weird, at times), but other parts that provide a glimpse of healthy home-life and honest good work. It has to be understood in the context in which it was written, as I don't think this would have seemed so odd or out of place to his Victorian readers, who would have most likely understood some classical references much better than I did. I will probably read this aloud to my kids in a few years, as I think I would be good to talk about some of the more unusual parts and clarify some of the symbolism. Eventually, I may also write an entire post about this one, as it certainly gave me much to think about. <span style="font-size: x-small;">Note: the free Kindle version which I read omitted much of the poetry, so I had to borrow a copy from the library to fill in the blanks. I should really leave a review and a request for that error to be corrected.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043GXXQU/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0043GXXQU&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0043GXXQU&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0043GXXQU" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Finally, sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas (probably before the previously mentioned titles, but it's less significant in my mind), I read another of the Irish Country Doctor series by Patrick Taylor. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043GXXQU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0043GXXQU"><i>An Irish Country Girl</i></a> is the 4th in the series, and I liked it best of all I've read so far (I believe there are 7 books now). As a flashback to the youth of Dr. O'Riley's housekeeper, Kitty, it seems more quaint and charming, and more essentially Irish, than the other books. I suppose I have a rather romanticized view of Ireland which this fostered, and I also enjoyed the more traditional, rural setting along with its more traditional values.<br />
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I also read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932168850/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1932168850&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>Blackthorn Winter</i></a> by Douglas Wilson in December in order to preview it for my daughter. She read it in January, and I plan the read the rest of the series aloud. I'll include my thoughts in a summary post once we've read them all.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0877888434/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0877888434&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0877888434&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064402754/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0064402754&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0064402754&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0064402754" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />For read-alouds, we enjoyed some Christmas classics, including <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064402754/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0064402754&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">The Best Christmas Pageant Ever</a> </i>by Barbara Robinson (along with the 1986 movie by the same title) and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0877888434/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0877888434&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">The Twenty-Four Days Before Christmas: An Austin Family Story</a> </i>by Madeleine L'Engle. We also read plenty of Christmas picture books, of which<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0877888434" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
some favorites were <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005Q78FU4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005Q78FU4&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">A Certain Small Shepherd</a> </i>by Rebecca Caudill, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064435296/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0064435296&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">The Little Fir Tree</a> </i>by Margaret Wise Brown, and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0763636290/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0763636290&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey</a> </i>by Susan Wojciechowski.Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-81794664935519245292013-01-17T23:51:00.000-05:002013-01-18T00:28:55.259-05:00L. M. Mongomery Reading Challenge 2013<a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2013/01/lm-montgomery-reading-challenge-2013.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="L. M. Montgomery Reading Challenge" border="0" src="http://www.bluecastlephoto.com/misc/lmm-challenge.gif" /></a>
Every year, I have good intentions of participating in <a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2013/01/lm-montgomery-reading-challenge-2013.html" target="_blank">Carrie's L. M. Mongomery Reading Challenge</a>, but my haphazard approach to blogging doesn't lend itself well to starting and finishing a monthly project such as that.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385322887/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385322887" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL110_&ASIN=0385322887&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>Well, this year, although I'm still late to the party, at least I didn't fail to show up at all! In fact, I've already completed <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385322887/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385322887"><i>Christmas with Anne</i></a>, a collection of Montgomery's short stories, and intend to start <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1603862757/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1603862757">The Story Girl</a> </i>today or tomorrow. Who knows, I may even write a wrap-up post before February!<br />
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Thank you, Carrie, for hosting this challenge every year. Returning to Anne or finding a new character to love is always like sinking into a pile of down comforters with a sigh - immensely warm, satisfying, and comforting - and just perfect for this time of year!Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-28149738098128745252013-01-03T09:52:00.000-05:002013-01-03T09:52:00.755-05:00The Most Important Book I Read in 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Van Gogh ~ Still Life with Open Bible (1885)</span></i></div>
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It goes without saying that the Bible is the most important book any Christian can read. I have failed for many years, however, in giving God's Word the attention it deserves. I could have given you lots of typical, maybe even legitimate, excuses, but the fact remained that it was not a priority for me. I tried the <a href="http://clearnotebloomington.com/sites/clearnotebloomington.com/files/mcheyne_bible_plan.pdf" target="_blank">Robert Murray M'Cheyne plan</a> along with the devotions in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1581348150/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1581348150"><i>For the Love of God, Volume 1</i></a> by D. A. Carson a few years ago. That year I even kept up (or kept catching up) with the schedule through early October, but ultimately I fell so far behind that I gave up. And that seems to be the problem with most calendar based Bible reading plans for me. Inevitably, I will miss a day here or there, and one day turns into two, and pretty soon I'm a week or more behind. I keep thinking I'll be able to catch up, but instead I just quit.<br />
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So this year, I had a non-scheduled Bible reading plan. My goal was to read 3 chapters of the Old Testament and 2 chapters of the New Testament each day, but if I missed a day or two or ten, I wasn't behind schedule since this plan wasn't tied to the calendar. I just picked up where I had left off and kept reading, reading extra if possible, but most importantly, continuing to read no matter how sporadic it was. <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Interestingly, though I find it very tedious to read some books on my Kindle, I really like reading my Bible on the Kindle. It's easy to mark passages, easy to bookmark my place, and it was actually helpful (as in not discouraging) to have no easy way to look ahead to see how much I "had" to read that day.</span></i><br />
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This non-plan was a great plan for me! I finished the New Testament in early summer, and ideally it would have been nice to read it again in the second half of the year. But I knew I had enough of the Old Testament still to read that I needed to focus there in order to finish in a year. So I tried to read 4 chapters of whichever historic or prophetic book I was in and 2 Psalms each day. I finished the Psalms around Thanksgiving and read a chapter or two of Proverbs during December. I had to squeeze in the Minor Prophets between Christmas and New Years, but with fewer activities that week, I finished Proverbs 31, Zechariah, and Malachi on New Year's Eve. Praise the Lord for His grace to persevere in His Word!<br />
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Now that I have once again read the Bible in a year, however, I think I agree with my college professor William Varner, who recently commented, "I applaud all those who read through the whole Bible in a year or 2-3 times a year, but I have found that it is not as important that I go through the Bible as that the Bible goes through me. So slower is better." With that in mind, my plan for the coming year is not as ambitious. I'd like to read the New Testament through at least once - twice would be better - so I will again try to read 2 chapters of the New Testament a day. I was surprised this past year at how difficult I found parts of the Old Testament, especially the prophetic books, and I found Isaiah to be one of the most mysterious. In and around all the familiar verses that speak of the Messiah, the Suffering Servant, and God's promises of His sovereign care, there were many passages that I read, but without understanding. So I'm planning to spend some quality time with Isaiah, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1581341563/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1581341563%22%3EIsaiah%20(The%20Crossway%20Classic%20Commentaries)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1581341563%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Calvin</a>, and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1598562754/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1598562754%22%3EMatthew%20Henry's%20Commentary%20on%20the%20Whole%20Bible:%20Complete%20and%20Unabridged%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1598562754%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Matthew Henry</a> this year to see if I can better grasp its truths.Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-88404415129038500382012-12-28T21:49:00.000-05:002013-02-01T22:24:55.380-05:00Books Read in 2012Posting has been sparse (again) this year, but most of the titles below are linked to my semi-monthly posts where there is usually a brief summary of my thoughts. It seemed like it wasn't a very productive reading year, but combining my own reading with what I read aloud to my kids, averages out to one book a week. That's a good goal, and seemingly an attainable one, too!<br />
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Next year, I hope to read more classics, more mysteries, and more historical fiction.<br />
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PERSONAL READING<br />
1. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_01_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy</a></i> by Eric Metaxas<br />
2. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_01_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Chronicles of Avonlea</a></i> by L. M. Montgomery<br />
3. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html" target="_blank">The Help</a></i> by Kathryn Stockett<br />
4. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html" target="_blank">A Wrinkle in Time</a></i> by Madeleine L'Engle<br />
5. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html" target="_blank">I Am Half Sick of Shadows: A Flavia de Luce Novel</a></i> by Alan Bradley<br />
6. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_04_01_archive.html" target="_blank">A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</a></i> by Betty Smith<br />
7. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_04_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Joy Comes in the Morning</a></i> by Betty Smith<br />
8. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_04_01_archive.html" target="_blank">The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar</a></i> by Robert Alexander<br />
9. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_04_01_archive.html" target="_blank">My Family for the War</a></i> by Anne C. Voorhoeve<br />
10. <i>The Uncommon Reader: A Novella</i> by Alan Bennett<br />
11. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Brideshead Revisited</a></i> by Evelyn Waugh<br />
12. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope</a></i> by Mary Beth Chapman<br />
13. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_06_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Three Men and a Maid</a></i> by P. G. Wodehouse<br />
14. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_06_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Growing up Amish</a></i> by Ira Wagler<br />
15. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_06_01_archive.html" target="_blank">The Daughter of Time</a></i> by Josephine Tey<br />
16. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/08/summertime-and-reading-is-easy-part-i.html" target="_blank">City of Tranquil Light</a></i> by Bo Caldwell<br />
17. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/08/summertime-and-reading-is-easy-part-i.html" target="_blank">Enna Burning</a></i> by Shannon Hale<br />
18. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/08/summertime-and-reading-is-easy-part-i.html" target="_blank">The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency</a></i> by Alexander McCall Smith<br />
19. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/08/summertime-and-reading-is-easy-part-i.html" target="_blank">Royal Children of English History</a></i> by Edith Nesbit<br />
20. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/08/summertime-and-reading-is-easy-part-i.html" target="_blank">The Little White Horse</a></i> by Elizabeth Goudge<br />
21. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/08/summertime-and-reading-is-easy-part-ii.html" target="_blank">The Mysterious Benedict Society</a></i> by Trenton Lee Stewart<br />
22. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/08/summertime-and-reading-is-easy-part-ii.html" target="_blank">The Distant Land of My Father</a></i> by Bo Caldwell<br />
23. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/08/summertime-and-reading-is-easy-part-ii.html" target="_blank">Plain Truth</a></i> by Jodi Picoult<br />
24. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/08/summertime-and-reading-is-easy-part-ii.html" target="_blank">The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy</a></i> by Jeanne Birdsall<br />
25. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_09_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Further Chronicles of Avonlea</a></i> by L. M. Montgomery<br />
26. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_09_01_archive.html" target="_blank">The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict</a></i> by Trenton Lee Stewart<br />
27. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_09_01_archive.html" target="_blank">The Virgin in the Ice: The Sixth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael</a></i> by Ellis Peters<br />
28. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_12_01_archive.html" target="_blank">North and South</a></i> by Elizabeth Gaskell<br />
29. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_12_01_archive.html" target="_blank">The Red House Mystery</a></i> by A. A. Milne<br />
30. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_12_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Three Men in a Boat</a></i> by Jerome K. Jerome<br />
31. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_12_01_archive.html" target="_blank">The Hobbit (or There and Back Again)</a></i> by J. R. R. Tolkien<br />
32. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/01/out-of-reading-funk-december-2012.html" target="_blank">An Irish Country Girl</a></i> by Patrick Taylor<br />
33. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/01/out-of-reading-funk-december-2012.html" target="_blank">To Say Nothing of the Dog</a></i> by Connie Willis<br />
34. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/01/out-of-reading-funk-december-2012.html" target="_blank">At the Back of the North Wind</a></i> by George MacDonald<br />
35. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/01/out-of-reading-funk-december-2012.html" target="_blank">Blackthorn Winter</a></i> by Douglas Wilson<br />
36. <a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-most-important-book-i-read-in-2012.html" target="_blank">The Bible (NASB)</a><br />
<br />
READ-ALOUD TO KIDS<br />
1. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_01_01_archive.html" target="_blank">The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow</a></i> by Allen French<br />
2. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_01_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Son of Charlemagne</a></i> by Barbara Willard<br />
3. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html" target="_blank">The Door in the Wall</a></i> by Marguerite De Angeli<br />
4. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html" target="_blank">The King's Shadow</a></i> by Elizabeth Alder<br />
5. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_04_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Adam of the Road</a></i> by Elizabeth Janet Gray<br />
6. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Dangerous Journey</a></i> by John Bunyan and Oliver Hunkin<br />
7. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html" target="_blank">The Hobbit</a></i> by J. R. R. Tolkien<br />
8. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/08/summertime-and-reading-is-easy-part-i.html" target="_blank">The Beggars' Bible</a></i> by Louise A. Vernon<br />
9. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/08/summertime-and-reading-is-easy-part-i.html" target="_blank">Ink on His Fingers</a></i> by Louise A. Vernon<br />
10. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/08/summertime-and-reading-is-easy-part-i.html" target="_blank">The Fantastic Flying Journey</a></i> by Gerald Durrell<br />
11. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/08/summertime-and-reading-is-easy-part-ii.html" target="_blank">Thunderstorm in Church</a></i> by Louise A. Vernon<br />
12. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_09_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Huguenot Garden</a></i> by Douglas M. Jones III<br />
13. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_09_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Tucker's Countryside</a></i> by George Selden<br />
14. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_12_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Harry Cat's Pet Puppy</a></i> by George Selden<br />
15. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_12_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Chester Cricket's Pigeon Ride</a></i> by George Selden<br />
16. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_12_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse</a></i> by George Selden<br />
17. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_12_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Chester Cricket's New Home</a></i> by George Selden<br />
18. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_12_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Homer Price</a></i> by Robert McCloskey<br />
19. <a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012_12_01_archive.html" target="_blank"><i>Centerburg Tales</i></a> by Robert McCloskey<br />
20. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/01/out-of-reading-funk-december-2012.html" target="_blank">The Best Christmas Pageant Ever</a></i> by Barbara Robinson<br />
21. <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/01/out-of-reading-funk-december-2012.html" target="_blank">The Twenty-four Days Before Christmas: An Austin Family Story</a></i> by Madeleine L'Engle<br />
22. Various and assorted picture books!Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-68498626826715279132012-12-27T20:54:00.004-05:002012-12-28T00:02:05.520-05:00Fall Reading - the catch-up editionWith the start of home schooling (K & 3rd grade) and various weekly church activities, I haven't had much time for reading these past few months. Additionally, I fell into a serious reading funk, which I think was due more to the mode (Kindle) than the material, although at least one title was funk-inducing in and of itself (more on that later). So, briefly (I hope), here is what has been read during the fall months (September - November).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.hopeisthewordblog.com/category/books/read-aloud-thursday%20/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" src=" http://www.hopeisthewordblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/square-read-aloud-image.jpg" /></a>(If you're visiting from a Read-Aloud-Thursday link, the read-alouds are at the bottom.)</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0486479528/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0486479528" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0486479528&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0486479528/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0486479528"><i>North and South</i></a> by Elizabeth Gaskell<br />
This was an enjoyable classic, and I'm glad I gave Gaskell another chance after reading <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2010/01/cranford-by-elizabeth-gaskell.html" target="_blank">Cranford</a></i> a few years ago. I wouldn't say she's one of my favorite British authors, but it was a well-paced, period piece in which the characters brought the distinctions of industrialized England into sharp focus. Aside from a few melodramatic scenes, which seemed out of place for the very reserved characters, it had none of the silly pettiness of <i>Cranford</i>.<br />
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<a href="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B003JBHOHY&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B003JBHOHY&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003JBHOHY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003JBHOHY">The Red House Mystery</a></i> by A. A. Milne<br />
Did you know A. A. Milne wrote more than Winnie-the-Pooh? Murder mysteries, to be exact? Well, this was a fun diversion, if not a very complex plot, and I'd recommend it.</div>
</div>
<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1480227234/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1480227234">Three Men in a Boat</a></i> by Jerome K. Jerome<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1480227234/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1480227234" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1480227234&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>(Who names their child Jerome Jerome?) This is described as a comic travelogue, but for some reason I just wasn't in the mood for such humor. I think (I hope) it was intended as a parody on idle young gentleman who think too highly of themselves, but I had my fill of that with <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/05/april-readingbefore-may-is-all-done.html" target="_blank">Brideshead Revisited</a></i>. Now <i>Three Men in a Boat </i>was not so disheartening as <i>Brideshead</i>, but for some reason it put me in a real reading funk, perhaps because I didn't have a real grasp for it's size on the Kindle and it seemed rather interminable. I found it soooo tedious, yet I kept reading thinking it would surely get better. There were, in fact, a few interesting historical divergences in a vast sea of stream of consciousness rabbit trails, but it still took me more than a month - a month! - for me to read this relatively short book. I persevered, mostly because I thought it would be helpful to have the background before reading <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553575384/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0553575384">To Say Nothing of the Dog</a>. </i>This more recent time-travel story sounds fascinating, but the original was so disappointing that I'm almost afraid to start it.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0395177111/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0395177111" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0395177111&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0395177111/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0395177111"><i>The Hobbit (or There and Back Again)</i></a> by J. R. R. Tolkien<br />
If I had nothing better to do, I'd spend a year or so reading Tolkien's entire corpus. I find that his idea of "true myth" gives me much to ponder, though it's all too easy to get caught up in the adventure and miss the broader truths. I appreciated the read-along posts on <a href="http://www.redeemedreader.com/" target="_blank">Redeemed Reader</a> this November, particularly <a href="http://www.redeemedreader.com/2012/12/hobbit-read-along-week-5-the-one-true-myth/" target="_blank">this one</a> which explores his true myth concept in more detail.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Yes, we've seen the movie. I loved parts of it and was really irritated by other parts. That almost always happens with books adapted to screen, especially when I've </i>just<i> read the book before seeing the movie. With more distance I might be able to appreciate the movie for its own merits, but not this time.</i></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374428956/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0374428956" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL110_&ASIN=0374428956&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440456479/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0440456479" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL110_&ASIN=0440456479&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440456479/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0440456479"><i>Harry Cat's Pet Puppy</i></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374411816/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0374411816"><i>Chester Cricket's Pigeon Ride</i></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374428956/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0374428956"><i>Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse</i></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011D4718/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0011D4718" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL110_&ASIN=B0011D4718&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011D4718/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0011D4718">Chester Cricket's New Home</a></i><br />
by George Selden<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374411816/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0374411816" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL110_&ASIN=0374411816&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>Yes, we've read them all, and if there are more I don't want to know! While it was a pleasant journey, the sequels aren't as good as the original <i>Cricket in Times Square</i>. I think E. B. White knew what he was doing when he brought <i>Charlotte's Web </i>and <i>The Trumpet of the Swan</i> to a satisfying close and didn't try to capitalize on whatever success they gained. If your children are voracious readers, I'm sure they would enjoy these continuing tales of unlikely animal friends. However, I'm a little sorry that we spent so much time on these read-alouds when there are so many other wonderful children's classics to read.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0670377295/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0670377295" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL110_&ASIN=0670377295&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0670209775/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0670209775" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL110_&ASIN=0670209775&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>Such as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0670377295/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0670377295"><i>Homer Price</i></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0670209775/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0670209775"><i>Centerburg Tales</i></a> by Robert McCloskey!<br />
These books are just downright fun bits of Americana. Since I grew up in a small Ohio town not far from Robert McCloskey's own hometown, these stories just ring true to me. I'm afraid I might even pick up the dialect a little too well! My kids love them, too! They are funny enough to appeal to kids, but there's some subtle humor for the grown-ups, too.<br />
<br />
Our home school co-op of 6 families read <i>Homer Price</i> for a book club week, and each family acted out one chapter, which was loads of fun! While the older kids did some art and map projects, the younger children then did activities related to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140564349/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0140564349"><i>Make Way for Ducklings</i></a> - another favorite of mine!Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-47904663832231907112012-09-17T20:37:00.000-04:002012-09-17T20:37:00.500-04:00Summertime and the Reading is Easy, Part IIIAugust was a very busy month, so my reading was rather limited and still on the lighter side. On a positive note, we have returned to a more normal home schooling schedule, so the kids and I are making better progress with our read-aloud titles, even fitting in some just for fun, not merely those that complement our history studies, which are usually fun, too, of course.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1617200158/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1617200158&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1617200158&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1617200158/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1617200158&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>Further Chronicles of Avonlea</i></a> by L. M. Montgomery<br />
This was more therapeutic reading after the Jodi Picoult novel I read in July, but then any excuse to read Montgomery will do! I read this on my Kindle, so I didn't get to enjoy that pretty cover. I do find the Kindle to be a very good format for short stories, however, since it's easy to take along with me and read when I have a few minutes here or there. Of course, reading Montgomery is delightful, and I heartily recommend these stories for refreshment from modern novels!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316176192/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316176192&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict</i></a> by Trenton Lee Stewart<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316176192/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316176192&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0316176192&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a>It's rather convenient to start reading a series when it is mostly complete (I did that with the Harry Potter books, too). You don't have to wait months for the latest installment, and, in this case, when a prequel is released, you can read it before finishing the later books to have some better insight into the characters. Of course, you may choose to differ with my approach, but I generally prefer to take things chronologically whenever possible. Anyway, all preferences aside, this book was available from the library sooner than the 2nd volume of the Mysterious Benedict Society, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was rather pleased with myself that I figured out the mystery very early in the book, but I won't give it away. For a much better analysis of the book, see <a href="http://www.acrossthepage.net/2012/09/the-extraordinary-education-of-nicholas-benedict/" target="_blank">Janet's review at Across the Page</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0751547174/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0751547174&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0751547174&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0751547174/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0751547174&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>The Virgin in the Ice</i></a> The Sixth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters<br />
I've said <a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2010/08/morbid-taste-for-bones-first-chronicle.html" target="_blank">before</a> how much I enjoy the Brother Cadfael mysteries - they include almost all of my favorite things: history, theology, mystery, just a little romance in good taste (none of the too-much-information of modern novels). I'm not sure why I haven't read more than six of them in the past two years, but I guess it's kind of like saving the best for last. I want to draw out the enjoyment of this 21-book series, so I read them sparingly. I think I might need to reconsider that approach, however, since I was reminded once again how satisfying they are.<br />
<br />
Here are a couple quotations just to tease you:<br />
<br />
Beautiful prose: "The branches of trees sagged heavily towards the ground under their load [of snow], and by mid-afternoon the leaden sky was sagging no less heavily earthwards, in swags of blue-black cloud." (17)<br />
<br />
Tidbits of wisdom: "It was all too easy to turn honest anxiety over someone loved into an exaltation of a man's own part and duty as protector, a manner of usurpation of the station of God. To accuse oneself of falling short of infallibility is to arrogate to oneself the godhead thus implied." (88)<br />
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Read aloud:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1885767218/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1885767218&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1885767218&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1885767218/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1885767218&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>Huguenot Garden</i></a> by Douglas M. Jones III<br />
This is a family-centered story set in 17th century France when Louis XIV persecuted the Protestant Huguenots. It was well-written and informative, but also simple enough and suspenseful enough to keep my children captivated. Without being overly dramatic or graphic, the author conveyed the faith and sacrifices that were required of Reformed believers during dangerous times, uniquely centering the story on twin girls, two of six children in the family, so that one experiences the full effects of persecution from an innocent perspective.<br />
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One chapter focuses on the baptism of the family's new baby, so it provided a good format for discussing the differences between paedobaptism and credobaptism. (Our <a href="http://clearnotebloomington.com/" target="_blank">church</a> is unique in that we have both paedobaptists and credobaptists on our pastoral staff. Recognizing that both views have been held by godly men throughout Church history, we do not divide on <a href="http://clearnotebloomington.com/about-us/baptism" target="_blank">this issue</a>, and we all love one another, too!) I only mention this since Baptists might want to be prepared to answer questions if you read this to your kids (aim for understanding, not condemnation).<br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1885767218" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1885767218" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250002567/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1250002567&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1250002567&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250002567/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1250002567&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>Tucker's Countryside</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1250002567" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by George Selden<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312380038/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312380038&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0312380038&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a>We also read this sequel to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312380038/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312380038&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>The Cricket in Times Square</i></a>, which we had listened to on CD earlier in the summer. The sequel isn't nearly so good as the original, in this case, but the animals are cute and their adventures entertaining. There were, however, two aspects that I didn't particularly care for.<br />
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First, <i>Tucker's Countryside</i> has a rather overt message of saving the meadows and forests from the bad City Councilmen who want to build apartments. Now stewardship is all fine and good as long as it doesn't become a god unto itself, but this is exactly what our culture has done. I always try to temper stories like this with the caveat that God gave us the earth to use and to take care of, and that people who are made in His image are always more important than animals. Sometimes that might mean that it is better to build apartments than save the meadow.<br />
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More disturbing, however, is the situational ethics employed by the animal characters who justify lying and deception as a means to a greater end. Now obviously it's just fiction - animals don't talk or make rational decisions to lie in real life. But at the same time, I don't want to leave my children with the idea that it's OK to tell "little white lies" or intentionally deceive others just because cute animals did it in a book and everything turned out fine. So we talk about it - just brief little questions such as, "Do think that was the right thing to do?" But hopefully those questions will build discernment. I appreciate <a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2012/09/ramona-brave-read-aloud-thursday.html" target="_blank">Carrie's thoughts</a> on this topic recently, too.<br />
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<br />Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-42801237649364741932012-08-30T22:33:00.000-04:002012-08-31T08:53:19.994-04:00Summertime and the Reading is Easy, Part II<a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/08/summertime-and-reading-is-easy-part-i.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> covered June, Part 2 July. Maybe I'll get Part 3 done (and posted) before summer is over (and you can interpret that as either the end of August or when fall starts on September 22nd). ( :<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316003956/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316003956&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>The Mysterious Benedict Society</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316003956" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
by Trenton Lee Stewart<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316003956/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316003956&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0316003956&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2012/02/mysterious-benedict-society-by-trenton.html" target="_blank">Carrie</a> has written about her love for this series many times, and I'm glad to have finally embarked on the journey. This book is clever, intriguing, and full of adventure that any child (or adult) should enjoy. I especially liked the mind puzzles and the way the characters' strengths and weaknesses complemented one another perfectly. I think my daughter could handle the reading level now, but I'm going to wait a few more years to introduce her to this series when she should be better able to enjoy the subtleties of the narrative.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OMHSZI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001OMHSZI&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>The Distant Land of My Father</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001OMHSZI" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
by Bo Caldwell<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OMHSZI/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001OMHSZI&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B001OMHSZI&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a>After reading <i>City of Tranquil Ligh</i>t, I was curious about this previous novel by the same author. To be quite honest, I think that it is hardly worth comparing the two. While they both include an insider's perspective on the changes in China throughout the 20th century, this one is told through the experiences of a very dysfunctional family, dysfunctional and disrupted mostly due to the husband and father who loved Shanghai and the easy money he could make there more than his wife and daughter. His selfishness brought many tragic consequences, and while there was a bit of redemption at the end, it really struck me as too little too late - at least in terms of making it a meaningful story for me.<br />
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On a side note, I did a bit more research about the author, and found <a href="http://catholiccharismatic.us/ccc/articles/Caldwell/Caldwell_001.html" target="_blank">this</a> very interesting first-person account of her life and conversion to Roman Catholicism. I'm sad that her faith is so shaped by experience, believing as I do that the Scriptures and sound doctrine provide a much more stable foundation. But after much consideration, I've decided that it does not diminish my opinion of <i>City of Tranquil Light</i>, for the faith of the characters in that book is tried and genuine. It's obviously not a book that is meant to teach doctrine, but insofar as it speaks of God and the Christian life, I still think it presents a accurate picture.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416547819/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1416547819&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>Plain Truth</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1416547819" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
by Jodi Picoult<br />
I didn't like it, but it was one of those books that I had to keep reading just to see what happened. I even lost sleep over it, staying up late because it was so hard to put down. But I still didn't like it, not one little bit. Like most modern novels it included too much information about intimate relationships between unmarried men and women. And the ending - well, it was just unnecessary. At least everyone in my book club agreed with this consensus, and we're returning to 19th century classics for our next selection!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440420474/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0440420474&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0440420474" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Jeanne Birdsall<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440420474/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0440420474&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0440420474&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a>If you haven't noticed, I have to do some therapeutic reading after I've read a book that leaves a a bad taste in my mouth. So I had checked this one out from the library as an option for my daughter (I like to have a wide variety of titles for her to choose from) and decided that "a summer story about four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy" would be just the thing after the Picoult novel, not to mention that I love the cover art! It was certainly light and easy, and the characters were written so that I felt I knew them quite quickly. On the downside, one thread of the story involved a pre-teen crush on an older boy. Disobedience and lying were justified by a positive outcome or by the meanness of the adult making the rules. So I won't be handing this to my 8-year-old anytime soon. In a few more years, she can read it, and we'll talk through the issues, for there were certainly many fun and funny parts, too.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0836117409/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0836117409&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0836117409&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0836117409/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0836117409&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">Thunderstorm in Church</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0836117409" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
by Louise A. Vernon<br />
See my <a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/08/summertime-and-reading-is-easy-part-i.html" target="_blank">earlier comments</a> on two other books by the same author which we read aloud earlier in the summer, as this one was very similar and my opinions haven't improved any. This one was interesting for the glimpses into life in Luther's busy household, but the dialogue... <i>{shudder}</i><br />
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<br />Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-85619666700104588502012-08-08T09:07:00.000-04:002012-08-08T18:44:49.921-04:00Summertime, and the Reading is Easy, Part IWe took a family vacation in June, which meant that I got more reading time than usual! It also meant that many of my reading selections were a little on the lighter side, but I would still highly recommend several of them.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0805092285" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805092285/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0805092285" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0805092285&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805092285/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0805092285"><i>City of Tranquil Light</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0805092285" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Bo Caldwell<br />
Every so often, I open a book and find a sense of quietness and purpose - perhaps holiness is the word I'm looking for - that makes me take a deep breath and settle in for refreshment, encouragement, and challenge to a greater life of faith. Most often, I think this happens with biographies, so to find a novel that evokes this deep satisfaction is truly rare (<i>Stepping Heavenward</i> is the only other that I can recall). But <i>City of Tranquil Light</i> is one of those special books, one that I borrowed from the library and then ordered two copies (one to keep and one to give away) before I was halfway through, and I've ordered eight more since then. I could tell you more, but I'd rather you just borrowed or bought your own copy and savored it yourself! <i>I usually don't promote book purchases here, but as of this writing, Amazon has hardback copies of this book for the bargain price of $2.74, and I believe you would find that to be money well spent! (You can follow the links to Amazon from either the book's picture or title.)</i><br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0084PS1LI" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1582349061/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1582349061"><i>Enna Burning</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1582349061" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Shannon Hale<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0084PS1LI/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0084PS1LI" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0084PS1LI&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>This second installment in the "Books of Bayern" series from Shannon Hale was much darker than <i>The Goose Girl</i>, and I didn't enjoy it nearly as much. I suppose it's a story of friendship, a coming of age story laced with a great deal of pride and lack of self-control, and there is really nothing unusual in those themes in young-adult literature, though the fact that something is common does not mean I should condone it. I'm not sure if the author intended for there to be any moral lessons or analogies, but when I started trying to think through the implications of some of the imagery, it seemed far too pantheistic for me to even want to explore those trains of thought. Maybe that's why it left me with such an unsettled feeling, and why I finished it simply to be done, not because I enjoyed it.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1400034779" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400034779/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400034779" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1400034779&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400034779/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400034779">The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency</a> </i>by Alexander McCall Smith<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1400034779" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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I've seen recommendations for this series by Alexander McCall Smith on many blogs, and my daughter has enjoyed listening to his mysteries for kids. So when I found this at a children's consignment store (of all places!), I added it to my summer vacation reading bag. I've said before that mysteries are my favorite genre, but I do prefer full-length novels to short stories. I like a very well-developed plot, though I will make an exception for Sherlock Holmes (who wouldn't!). At any rate, this initially seemed very disjointed, as the chapters jumped back and forth between Mma Ramotswe's family history and various cases she'd solved more recently. Eventually, a case develops that somewhat ties everything together, but overall it just wasn't my cup of tea. I'll stick with Lord Peter Wimsey and Brother Cadfael when I need my mystery fix.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039GL46G/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0039GL46G">Royal Children of English History</a></i><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0039GL46G" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
by Edith Nesbit<br />
Have I mentioned that I have a Kindle? It will never replace real books for me, but the free classics and public domain works are lots of fun to explore. (All of L. M. Montgomery's short stories for free? Yes, please!) So this was a short little book that I read as a bonus for our book club's "British Royalty" theme in June. I expected it to be stories from the childhoods of various kings & queens, but it was more a children's history, a simple retelling of the most common anecdotes or deeds of valor of notable English princes or kings. I'm sure my children would enjoy this as a read-aloud if I could fit it into the schedule.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0142300276" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142300276/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142300276"><i>The Little White Horse</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0142300276" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Elizabeth Goudge<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142300276/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142300276" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0142300276&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>This is a very sweet fairy tale set in a secluded valley of Victorian England with good guys, bad guys, and some highly intelligent and helpful animals. There is a very large "dog," who turns out to be a lion, but that is the extent of any parallels to Narnia, I think. There is not much grace or redemption, but only trying very hard to be good, which I would consider a bit overly idealistic if I were reading this only for instruction in morality. That is not the only purpose of a good story, however, and I appreciated the beautiful descriptions and gentle blend of fantasy and reality. I must say that I find an old-fashioned morality tale to be much more enjoyable than many modern novels that include too little morals and too much information, so you can read this one without regrets.<br />
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Read-alouds:<br />
<i><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0836117328" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0836117328/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0836117328&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">The Beggars' Bible</a></i><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0836117328" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0836116739/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0836116739&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20"><i>Ink on His Fingers</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0836116739" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
by Louise A. Vernon<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0836117328/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0836117328&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0836117328&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0836116739/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0836116739&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0836116739&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a>These are interesting for their historical perspective, but the story line is extremely repetitive - a young boy is distressed (obsessed) about what he will do when he grows up then crosses paths with a historical figure (John Wycliffe and Johann Gutenberg, in these books) and finds direction for his life. They are heavy on dialogue, and that dialogue is often forced and stilted. The author seems to have done her research thoroughly, but her use of anecdotes and dialogue is extremely awkward. I'm glad we read them aloud, as my kids probably learned more than reading them on their own, but all of us found it challenging to stay interested at times.<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0671649825" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671649825/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0671649825&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20">The Fantastic Flying Journey</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0671649825" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
by Gerald Durrell<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671649825/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0671649825&linkCode=as2&tag=capthobooclu-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0671649825&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a>This is an imaginative story about an eccentric uncle who takes his niece and twin nephews on a trip around the world in an amazing and well-equipped hot air balloon. The purpose of the trip is to find Uncle Lancelot's brother, a naturalist, so they follow his trail and meet many animals in their natural habitats around the world. This one is both fun and educational, and my daughter finished it ahead of my reading it aloud, so I know she liked it a lot. I was pleased that it did not have an overt evolutionary slant. In fact, I can't recall if there were any allusions to evolution, but that could be my faulty memory. We found this at our library book sale, and we highly recommend it!Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-14678944094326878472012-06-02T20:26:00.000-04:002012-06-05T11:05:59.149-04:00Books Read in May<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00606NQZE/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00606NQZE" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B00606NQZE&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00606NQZE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00606NQZE%22%3EThree%20Men%20and%20a%20Maid%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00606NQZE%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank"><i>Three Men and a Maid</i></a> by P. G. Wodehouse<br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00606NQZE" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />After <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2012/05/april-readingbefore-may-is-all-done.html" target="_blank">Brideshead Revisited</a></i>, I needed something lighter, and though I didn't finish in time to join Carrie's <a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2012/04/pg-wodehouse-reading-to-know-bookclub.html" target="_blank">book club</a> for the month of April, Wodehouse was just the antidote needed. <i>Three Men and a Maid</i> seems at first like your classic love triangle, but wait, it's a quadrangle with overlapping story lines, bumbling idiots (at least when it comes to love) and just the kind of British wit and irony to make it fun and funny! I'll definitely be reading more of Wodehouse in the future.<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1414339364" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1414339364/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1414339364%22%3EGrowing%20Up%20Amish:%20A%20Memoir%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1414339364%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank"><i>Growing up Amish</i></a> by Ira Wagler<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1414339364/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1414339364" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1414339364&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>I think this selection, too, was something of a knee-jerk reaction to <i>Brideshead</i>, though in some respects the wild living while coming of age theme is similar. Ira Wagler relates his struggles with the constraints of the Old Order Amish and the family ties that keep pulling him back. But more than a coming of age story, I think it is a conversion story, a story of God's preservation of a young man who eventually finds grace and salvation in Christ instead of the social and moral standards of a church. Though I didn't particularly like his writing style - sentence fragments <i>really</i> annoy me - it was both an interesting and encouraging book.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684803860/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0684803860" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0684803860&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0684803860" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684803860/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0684803860%22%3EThe%20Daughter%20of%20Time%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0684803860%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">The Daughter of Time</a></i> by Josephine Tey<br />
I love mysteries, and it's always fun to find a new author who can weave a complex plot. Solving a mystery from a hospital bed doesn't sound too exciting, but if the mystery involves the infamous King Richard III and the Princes in the Tower, a convalescing Inspector Grant is just your man. The history books all seem to agree that the power-hungry Richard III had his nephews murdered to secure the throne, but when Inspector Grant begins to study a portrait of Richard and delve into the historical records of the period, the conclusions of history just don't seem to add up. British Royalty is confusing, and even with frequent references to the family trees included at the beginning of the book, I'm not sure I could explain exactly who is related to whom or how the throne passes from one generation to another. But the historical information in this book is just fascinating, and Tey presents it in such a way that one really feels the excitement of discovery just as the characters do. I also appreciated her subtle social commentaries such as this description of a convicted criminal unrelated to the historical research: "Been treated soft all his life since he started stealing change from his Ma at the age of nine. A good belting at the age of twelve might have saved his life. Now he'll hang before the almond blossoms' out" (193). I hope to read more Inspector Grant mysteries to see if his handling of contemporary crimes is just as intriguing as historical ones.<br />
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Read alouds: We have several in progress (<i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1883937892/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1883937892%22%3EBig%20John's%20Secret%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1883937892%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Big John's Secret</a> </i>& <i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0836117328/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0836117328%22%3EThe%20Beggars'%20Bible%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0836117328%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">The Beggars' Bible</a></i>), but somehow we didn't finish anything in May. I'm not sure how that happened other than we now have two kittens who allure my children outside, and later sunsets mean it's often too late for stories when they finally come inside. Stay tuned for read-aloud updates next month.Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-7262110396033963212012-05-10T22:48:00.000-04:002012-05-11T00:18:28.471-04:00April Reading...before May is all doneTime flies, and it seemed to go especially quickly in April. Nevertheless, reading continues even on busy days, so here's the monthly recap:<br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316926345" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316926345/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316926345" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0316926345&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316926345/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316926345"><i>Brideshead Revisited</i></a> by Evelyn Waugh<br />
I can't recall ever reading a fictional book that I enjoyed less, and I wasn't alone in that opinion, as everyone in my book club seemed to agree. Perhaps more die-hard Anglophiles might have found something to love in it, but I thought all the characters were deplorable narcissists - truly the biggest bunch of navel-gazers ever collected between the covers of a book! Just as the book of Judges is depressing because everyone did what was right in their own eyes, so this story is very depressing because vice and vanity are relentlessly pursued in an elusive search for happiness. With that said, however, Waugh did capture the essence of sin in the most succinct and raw fashion that I have read in a novel (at least as far as my memory serves). I'll quote it here so that you have the benefit of reflecting on its accuracy, and perhaps searching your heart to see if you have pet sins of which you should repent, and you can thank me for saving you the tedium of reading the book:<br />
<br />
"'<i>Living in sin</i>, with sin, by sin, for sin, every hour, every day, year in, year out. Waking up with sin in the morning, seeing the curtains drawn on sin, bathing it, dressing it, clipping diamonds to it, feeding it, showing it round, giving it a good time, putting it to sleep at night with a tablet of Dial if it's fretful.<br />
'Always the same, like an idiot child carefully nursed, guarded from the world. "Poor Julia," they say, "she can't go out. She's got to take care of her little sin. A pity it ever lived," they say, "but it's so strong. Children like that always are. Julia's so good to her little, mad sin."'" (287)<br />
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Now, that's not a pretty description, nor an encouraging one, but it certainly provides much to ponder, and if it leads to repentance, then my reading of this book was not in vain.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0800720857/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0800720857" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0800720857&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0800720857/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0800720857">Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0800720857" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0800720857" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />by Mary Beth Chapman<br />
I needed something <i>real</i> to counter the unreality of <i>Brideshead Revisited</i> (although a friend reminded me that such an empty life was/is a reality for some, which is a sobering thought). I had known of the Chapman's loss of one of their adopted daughters several years ago, but didn't really know much of the story. Mary Beth Chapman writes with honesty of the fears and struggles that she has experienced throughout her life of faith, with the greatest of these being the loss of 5-year-old Maria in 2008. I used the word "raw" for the description of sin above, and it applies here, too, though the contexts are so very different. The death of a child can shake one's faith to the core, and Mary Beth writes openly of her doubts, anger, and disbelief, and of her faith, security, and hope in God and the promise of heaven. It's an emotional story, but an encouraging one, a truthful one that depicts death as the enemy, Christ as the victor, and heaven as our home and hope.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802836194/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0802836194" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0802836194&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802836194/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0802836194">Dangerous Journey: The Story of Pilgrim's Progress</a></i> by John Bunyan and Oliver Hunkin<br />
It's been a while since I've read <i>Pilgrim's Progress</i>, but this is an excellent children's version which retains both the language and the lessons of the original. My kids enjoyed this book, and I've already used its allegories to remind them of "fighting Apollyon" when they are having a difficult time with self-control. All too often, sin seems to be glossed over and excused rather than exposed and resisted. So while I will readily admit that all allegories have their shortcomings, I'm grateful for this tool to help my children understand some aspects of the Christian walk.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618968636/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0618968636" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0618968636&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618968636/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0618968636"><i>The Hobbit</i></a> by J. R. R. Tolkien<br />
I can't take credit for reading this one aloud, but I did listen while my husband, an original Tolkien fan (yes, before there were movies!), read this to our kids, ages 5 and 8. This was required reading before the Hobbit movie is released in December, but aside from the much-anticipated movie, it was delightful to share Middle Earth and Tolkien's wonderful story-telling with my family. So after you've enjoyed <i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2009/11/read-aloud-thursday-my-fathers-dragon.html" target="_blank">My Father's Dragon</a></i> (linked to my review) with your young readers, be sure to introduce them to Smaug (a not-so-nice dragon) and Bilbo Baggins!<br />
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See, this is how much of a Tolkien fan my husband is. These are bookcases that he built for our office/library a few years ago. Pretty cool, huh?<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0618968636" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-32445718976020968402012-04-03T22:09:00.000-04:002012-04-04T22:50:18.442-04:00April Update on March ReadingI didn't get my summary post written by the end of March, but here it is a few days late. Colds, fevers, and allergies put a damper on our read-alouds last month, but we almost finished <i>Adam of the Road</i>, so I'm counting it anyway. Illness, however, made my own reading more productive, and I finished more than usual.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061120073/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061120073" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0061120073&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><i><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061120073" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061120073/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061120073">A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</a></i><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061120073" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
by Betty Smith - This was recommended to me several years ago as a coming of age novel akin to <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/068484267X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=068484267X">Angela's Ashes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=068484267X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>, which was <i>not</i> one of my favorite memoirs, so I wasn't quite sure how I would like it. Francie Nolan, however, is a much more sympathetic character than Frank McCourt - what's not to love about a young girl who loves to read and write! (Not surprisingly, my book club realized that we tend to gravitate toward these types of books!) In spite of the severe poverty and hardships of turn-of the-20th-century Brooklyn, I found this a hopeful book.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A3WW5S/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000A3WW5S" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B000A3WW5S&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000A3WW5S" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A3WW5S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000A3WW5S"><i>Joy in the Morning</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000A3WW5S" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
by Betty Smith - I was intrigued by the autobiographical nature of <i>A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</i> and wanted to read more of the author's fictional retelling of a young couple's first year of marriage, struggling with relationships and finances after being transplanted from Brooklyn to a Midwestern college town (I live in one of those!). The situation is somewhat parallel to Betty Smith's own life, but as with <i>A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</i>, she said she wrote it as it might have been, not as exactly as it was. There's a touch of feminism, but overall a fairly traditional view of marriage and family and a very realistic portrayal of adjusting to married life.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142003816/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142003816" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0142003816&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142003816/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142003816">The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0142003816" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> by Robert Alexander - Carrie at <a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/" target="_blank">Reading to Know</a> posted a <a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2011/03/kitchen-boy-by-robert-alexander.html" target="_blank">review</a> of this book a year ago, and it's been on my mental to-be-read list ever since. Though I knew very little about the particulars of the Tsar's family's assassination, it was fairly easy to jump into the story of the last few weeks of their life - a fascinating, riveting, and tragic period of history, to be sure. This was a carefully researched, well-written, expertly crafted, and completely plausible novel - historical fiction at its best! The modern staging and unexpected twists make this a historical story that you won't be able to put down! <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0803733607/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0803733607" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0803733607&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0803733607" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0803733607/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0803733607">My Family for the War</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0803733607" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>
by Anne C. Voorhoeve - I don't recall where I read a review of this recently released translation of a German novel, but the premise intrigued me and I quickly requested my library to purchase a copy. Did you know about the Kindertransports that, over the course of 9 months prior to England entering the war, evacuated approximately 10,000 Jewish children from Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Poland and placed them with foster families in England? I had not heard of this before, but it is certainly another amazing facet of the many stories of survival and generosity that can be found in World War II history. This coming-of-age story is heavy on emotion and introspection as it traces the experiences of a Jewish (by race) Protestant (by religion) girl named Franziska, who reluctantly leaves her parents in Germany only to find a greater love and stronger sense of family with an Orthodox Jewish family in London. Franziska transitions to Frances rather quickly, and wrestles with the differences between her parents' faith and the rituals of Judaism. The resulting synthesis of the two comes a bit too easily, I thought, and is entirely driven by emotions, not beliefs or convictions. For that reason, I found the spiritual/religious element to be very superficial, but the experience of living through the war in England is well-told through the eyes of a child/teenager.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142406597/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142406597" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0142406597&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142406597/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142406597">Adam of the Road</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0142406597" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> by Elizabeth Janet Gray - If all Newberry Award winners are as good as this one and <i>The Door in the Wall</i>, I think we should make a project of reading all of them. At least the list is readily available <a href="http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberywinners/medalwinners" target="_blank">here</a>. This is a delightful story about a lost boy, a minstrel's son in 13th century England who was separated from his father as they searched for his stolen dog. An eleven-year-old roaming the roads of Medieval England might seem rather tragic, but a minstrel's home is the road and Adam makes the best of his circumstances even when he is delayed time and again in finding his father and beloved dog Nick. Adam meets a wide cross-section of medieval society in his travels and has plenty of adventures along the way, giving the reader a fun and interesting introduction to Medieval life. My children looked forward to reading this and would have gladly sat through several chapters if only my voice would last that long.<br />
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Edited to add: Sometime at the end of February or beginning of March, I also read <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312427646/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312427646">The Uncommon Reader: A Novella</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0312427646" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>, but I found it disappointing and have no further comments.Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-7724628386125227292012-02-29T22:48:00.000-05:002012-03-02T08:36:25.524-05:00February 2012 Reading ListWe're doing better at actually finishing read-aloud books this year, probably because I love historical fiction set in the Middle Ages! My own reading was a bit on the lighter side this month, but still thought provoking at times.<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0440227798" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440227798/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0440227798%22%3EThe%20Door%20in%20the%20Wall%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0440227798%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank"><i>The Door in the Wall</i></a> by Marguerite De Angeli<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440227798/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0440227798" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0440227798&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>This is a heart-warming tale of a nobleman's son who seems to have lost everything when illness renders him lame. However, with the help of a kind monk, he regains both physical strength and hope for the future, learning to look for the silver lining, or as Brother Luke says, "to find the door in the wall," an opportunity for courage, perseverance, and thankfulness in the face of obstacles. Eventually, Robin quite literally goes through a door in the wall on a dangerous mission for which he is uniquely suited in his lameness, proving to himself and others that his illness has not robbed him of usefulness and purpose. Amazon reviews are full of complaints that kids think this book is boring, but it worked great as a read-aloud!<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0399157913" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399157913/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0399157913"><i>The Help</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0399157913" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
by Kathryn Stockett<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399157913/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0399157913" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0399157913&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>Of course, plenty has already been written about this novel. Like many others, I quickly became engrossed with the characters' unique voices and stories. It was an enlightening glimpse into Southern culture in the midst of the civil rights movement and the general unrest of the 1960's. Only one part seemed really out of place, that is, Aibileen's sympathetic acknowledgement of homosexuality in her recollections of previous employers. Sadly, it seems that almost all modern novels must have a token homosexual. Is that really necessary to appeal to the masses, or is it merely to placate the politically active minority? I'll continue to be politically incorrect and voice my objections to blatant disregard for God's order and Word!<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0312367546" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312367546/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312367546">A Wrinkle in Time</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0312367546" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> by Madeleine L'Engle<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312367546/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312367546" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0312367546&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>Unbeknownst to us when my book club chose this for our February selection, <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> was published 50 years ago and was celebrated with some fanfare in the publishing world this month. It's interesting, if a little odd at times, but I agree with <a href="http://www.redeemedreader.com/2012/01/a-wrinkle-in-time-at-fifty-years/" target="_blank">Janie</a> at <a href="http://www.redeemedreader.com/" target="_blank">Redeemed Reader</a> that the inherent mysticism and dualism is neither biblical nor Christian. We listened to the audio version, read by Madeleine L'Engle herself, before I reread the book, and I wish I'd waited a few more years before introducing it to my daughter. Most of the subtle distortions of Christian truth were over her head, although I commented on a few obvious ones. We'll probably revisit it when she's older and better able to discern and discuss truth and error. For now I'll comfort myself that Little House and Narnia books are the usual fare for audio books around here.<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0385344015" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385344015/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385344015">I Am Half-Sick of Shadows: A Flavia de Luce Novel</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0385344015" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> by Alan Bradley<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385344015/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385344015" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0385344015&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>Flavia de Luce: she's awful, but it's still fun - and British - so I keep reading every new installment. I thought this one got off to a slow start, although it was fun to have something of a reunion of characters from the other novels. Am I the only reader who keeps expecting Harriet to waltz in and save the estate after living in seclusion with some remote people group in the Himalayas for all these years? Well, that's another reason I keep reading this series. That seems to be <i>THE</i> unsolved mystery - her death is always taken for granted - but why hasn't Flavia thought to investigate that one (apart from the intensely personal nature of the case and the fact that it would require travel and money which even she can't conjure up in the chemical lab)?<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0440220114" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440220114/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0440220114%22%3EThe%20King's%20Shadow%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0440220114%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank"><i>The King's Shadow</i></a> by Elizabeth Alder<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440220114/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0440220114" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0440220114&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>If my children were reading this on their own, this would probably be best for older readers, for it deals with the gruesome reality of war and various injustices inherent in the Medieval feudal system. Yet in spite of the hardships Evan, the main character, encounters, it is a story of hope, courage, loyalty, forgiveness, and justice. It worked just fine as a read-aloud to my almost 8 and almost 5-year-olds, who could understand it in terms of good guys/bad guys, and it really made history come alive as we studied the Battle of Hastings in our history studies. I also enjoyed reading it aloud because there was such a good balance of description, dialogue, action, and reflection - it kept me interested, and it was fun to try to vary my voice to the mood and setting of various passages. The historical characters and events seem fairly accurate, but even if the author took some poetic license, it provides such a vivid picture of various levels of Medieval life, I could recommend it for the social and cultural insights alone.<br />
<br />Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-21776398660869749812012-01-31T22:38:00.000-05:002012-02-19T00:08:01.520-05:00Books Read in 2012 - JanuaryI'm not finding much time for blogging, so this may be all you see for 2012. I'll be listing my own reading and the chapter books that I read aloud to my kids, most of which correspond to our history studies. The favorite of the month will be pictured - just to keep things interesting! [edited to add: I'm switching to a monthly summary instead of a yearly one - hopefully, I'll be able to keep up with that, and there will be more pictures!]<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595552464/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1595552464" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1595552464&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a></div>
JANUARY<br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1595552464" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<ol>
<li><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595552464/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1595552464">Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy</a></i><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1595552464" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-image: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Eric Metaxas - riveting, convicting, excellent - read it soon if you haven't already!</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1883937019/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1883937019"><i>The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1883937019" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Allen French - read-aloud to correspond with history studies - in spite of the rather archaic language, my 7 & 4 year-old, not to mention their father, followed the main story line of this Icelandic epic with interest; the examples of honor and accountability set forth made for excellent discussion.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/161720014X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=161720014X"><i>Chronicles of Avonlea</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=161720014X" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-image: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by L. M. Montgomery - Oh, this was fun! Anne Shirley only makes a few cameo appearances in this volume of short stories, but these tales of some of the more mature members of Prince Edward Island are just as full of wit and charm as one would expect.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1883937302/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1883937302"><i>Son of Charlemagne</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1883937302" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-image: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Barbara Willard - Although I wasn't impressed with the writing style (a bit convoluted for my tastes), the history and "insider perspective" on 9th century kings and kingdom building was fascinating. This was a family read-aloud, but we were disappointed with the ending - even a brief epilogue to explain what happened to Charlemagne's children and successors would have been helpful, although it wasn't too difficult to fill in the gaps with Google and Wikipedia.</li>
</ol>
</div>Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-71455761091615866442011-12-26T16:00:00.000-05:002011-12-26T16:00:02.212-05:00Lessons from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ve_JKOZxF8M/TvjcLgeQcFI/AAAAAAAAAXo/0iIIf-8tVK0/s1600/Little+Women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ve_JKOZxF8M/TvjcLgeQcFI/AAAAAAAAAXo/0iIIf-8tVK0/s1600/Little+Women.jpg" /></a>If your memories of <i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1593083661/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1593083661%22%3ELittle%20Women%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1593083661%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">Little Women</a></i> have been muddied by watching the movie version, I highly recommend a re-read! Far from the feminist and transcendentalist overtones of the movie, this well-loved classic by Louisa May Alcott extols the virtues of home and homemaking and a simple faith in and dependence on God that is quite refreshing. I also found several gems of wisdom for mothers both in Marmee's gentle dealings with her girls and advice to her grown daughters. While some might find the moralistic tone of this novel a bit overbearing, I, for one, don't mind a bit being reminded of the ideals and virtues of a distant generation.<br />
<br />
After re-reading <i>Little Women</i>, I also read <i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451529359/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0451529359%22%3ELittle%20Men%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0451529359%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">Little Men</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553214497/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0553214497%22%3EJo's%20Boys%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0553214497%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">Jo's Boys</a> </i>recently, both of which were new to me. I enjoyed getting an expanded knowledge of the March family, although the main characters of <i>Little Women</i> take a secondary role to the boys at Jo & Mr. Bhaer's school. There is more emphasis on women's rights in the younger generation, but it is well-balanced with the wisdom and training of older women in home duties, as a picture of Titus 2 in action. My only complaint is that Jo and Laurie's relationship seems a bit unusual as they get older and raise families side by side. I thought some of their interchanges a bit odd, or at least a bit too chummy for sister-in-law and brother-in-law, even if they had been the best of friends as children. Let's just say that Amy was very gracious - much more so than I could ever be in a similar situation!<br />
<br />
Here are some of my favorite passages from <i>Little Women:</i><br />
<br />
"The patience and the humility of the face she loved so well was a better lesson to Jo than the wisest lecture, the sharpest reproof. She felt comforted at once by the sympathy and confidence given her; the knowledge that her mother had a fault like hers, and tried to mend it, made her own easier to bear and strengthened her resolution to cure it; though forty years seemed rather a long time to watch and pray, to a girl of fifteen." (83, such wisdom about confessing and battling sin, in this case anger, over a lifetime.)<br />
<br />
"'I want my daughters to be beautiful, accomplished, and good; to be admired, loved, and respected; to have a happy youth, to be well and wisely married, and to lead useful, pleasant lives, with as little care and sorrow to try them as God sees fit to send. To be loved and chosen by a good man is the best and sweetest thing which can happen to a woman; and I sincerely hope my girls may know this beautiful experience...My dear girls, I <i>am</i> ambitious for you, but not to have you make a dash in the world, -- marry rich men merely because they are rich, or have splendid houses, which are not homes because love is wanting.'" (101)<br />
<br />
"'I am quite satisfied with the experiment, and fancy that we shall not have to repeat it; only don't go to the other extreme, and delve like slaves. Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well.'" (121)<br />
<br />
"To outsiders, the five energetic women seemed to rule the house, and so they did in many things; but the quiet scholar, sitting among his books, was still the head of the family, the household conscience, anchor, and comforter; for to him the busy, anxious women always turned in troublous times, finding him, in the truest sense of those sacred words, husband and father." (244, nary a bit of feminism there!)<br />
<br />
"I also doubt if any young matron ever began life with so rich a supply of dusters, holders, and piece-bags...People who hire all these things done for them never know what they lose; for the homeliest tasks get beautified if loving hands do them..." (247-248, a good reminder for one not so fond of dusting!)<br />
<br />
"'Laurie, my lad, if you ever want to indulge in this sort of thing, get one of those little girls to help you, and I shall be perfectly satisfied,' said Mr. Laurence,settling himself in his easy chair to rest, after the excitement of [Meg's wedding in] the morning.'<br />
'I'll do my best to gratify you, sir,' was Laurie's unusually dutiful reply, as he carefully unpinned the posy Jo had put in his button-hole." (260-261, see, it's not all moral instruction!)<br />
<br />
"Mrs. March knew that experience was an excellent teacher, and when it was possible she left her children to learn alone the lessons which she would gladly have made easier, if they had not objected to taking advice as much as they did salts and senna." (266)<br />
<br />
"'Never deceive him by look or word, Meg, and he will give you the confidence you deserve, the support you need. He has a temper, not like ours, -- one flash, and then all over, -- but the white, still anger, that is seldom stirred, but once kindled, is hard to quench. Be careful, very careful, not to wake this anger against yourself, for peace and happiness depend on keeping his respect. Watch yourself, be the first to ask pardon if you both err, and guard against the little piques, misunderstandings, and hasty words that often pave the way for bitter sorrow and regret.'" (287)<br />
<br />
"'Because they are mean is no reason why I should be. I hate such things, and though I think I've a right to be hurt, I don't intend to show it. They will feel that more than angry speeches or huffy actions, won't they, Marmee?'<br />
'That's the right spirit, my dear; a kiss for a blow is always best, though it's not very easy to give it sometimes,' said her mother, with the air of one who had learned the difference between preaching and practising (<i>sic</i>)." (310)<br />
<br />
"'Ah, Jo, mothers may differ in their management, but the hope is the same in all, -- the desire to see their children happy. Meg is so, and I am content with her success. You I leave to enjoy your liberty till you tire of it; for only then will you find that there is something sweeter. Amy is my chief care now, but her good sense will help her. For Beth, I indulge no hopes except that she may be well.'" (339)<br />
<br />
"The conversation was miles beyond Jo's comprehension, but she enjoyed it, though Kant and Hegel were unknown gods, the Subjective and Objective unintelligible terms; and the only thing 'evolved from here inner consciousness,' was a bad headache after it was all over. It dawned upon her gradually that the world was being picked to pieces, and put together on new, and, according to the talkers, on infinitely better principles than before; that religion was in a fair way to be reasoned into nothingness, and intellect was to be the only God...[Mr. Bhaer] bore it as long as he could; but wen he was appealed to for an opinion, he blazed up wit honest indignation, and defended religion with all the eloquence of truth...He had a hard fight, for the wise men argued well; but he didn't know when he was beaten, and stood to his colors like a man. Somehow, as he talked, the world got right again to Jo; the old beliefs, that had lasted so long, seemed better than the new; God was not a blind force, and immortality was not a pretty fable, but a blessed fact. She felt as if she had solid ground under her feet again..." (361-362)<br />
<br />
"[Beth] did not rebuke Jo with saintly speeches, only loved her better for her passionate affection, and clung more closely to the dear human love, from which our Father never means us to be weaned, but through which He draws us closer to Himself. She could not say, 'I'm glad to go,' for life was very sweet to her; she could only sob out, 'I try to be willing,' while she held fast to Jo, as the first bitter wave of this great sorrow broke over them together." (382-383)<br />
<br />
"[Meg] was nervous and worn out with watching and worry, and in that unreasonable frame of mind which the best of mothers occasionally experience when domestic cares oppress them." (398)<br />
<br />
[Marmee's advice to Meg as a young mother] "'I nearly spoilt [Jo] by indulgence. You were poorly, and I worried about you till I fell sick myself. Then father came to the rescue, quietly managed everything, and made himself so helpful that I saw my mistake, and never have been able to get on without him since. That is the secret of our home happiness: he does not let business wean him from the little cares and duties that affect us all, and I try not to let domestic worries destroy my interest in his pursuits. We each do our part alone in many things, but at home we work together, always.'" (400-401)<br />
<br />
"She had often said she wanted to do something splendid, no matter how hard; and now she had her wish, for what could be more beautiful than to devote her life to father and mother, trying to make home as happy to them as they had to her? And, if difficulties were necessary to increase the splendor of the effort, what could be harder for a restless, ambitious girl than to give up her own hopes, plans, and desires, and cheerfully live for others?" (445)Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-63681696983897646232011-12-26T15:00:00.000-05:002011-12-26T16:02:49.161-05:00Jayber Crow by Wendell BerryI read <i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1582431604/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1582431604%22%3EJayber%20Crow%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1582431604%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">Jayber Crow</a></i> earlier in 2011 and recorded my favorite passages, but nothing more. So in an effort to tie up loose ends, I'll just leave it as it stands and publish it.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1582431604/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1582431604"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1582431604&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=capthobooclu-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1582431604" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
"Sometimes I might take off a whole day to go fishing...always taking care to get back before six-thirty. Of course, if I didn't leave until <em>after</em> six-thirty in the evening, I had all night to get back. And since nobody was apt to want a haircut at six-thirty in the morning, I could stay away until the next evening. My clock said I would be back at six-thirty, but it didn't say what day. And sooner or later, until the last time, I always got back." (5)<br />
<br />
"My relation to that place, my being in it and my absences from it, is the story of my life. That story has surprised me almost every day--but now, in the year 1986, so near the end, it seems not surprising at all but only a little strange, as if it all has happened to somebody younger." (12)<br />
<br />
"There really was nobody else to do it [adopt him after the death of his parents], but she treated me like a prize she had won...I suppose Aunt Cordie and Uncle Othy had a store of affection laid away that they now brought out and applied to me. Later I would know how blessed I had been." (15)<br />
<br />
"Back there at the beginning, as I see now, my life was all time and almost no memory. Though I knew early of death, it still seemed to be something that happened only to other people, and I stood in an unending river of time that would go on making the same changes and the same returns forever." (24)<br />
<br />
"I'd had the idea, once, that if I could get the chance before I died I would read all the good books there were. Now I began to see that I wasn't apt to make it. This disappointed me, for I really wanted to read them all." (47)<br />
<br />
"In most of them I saw the old division of body and soul that I had known at The Good Shepherd [Orphanage]. The same rift ran through everything at Pigeonville College; the only difference was that I was able to see it more clearly, and to wonder at it. Everything bad was laid on the body, and everything good was credited to the soul. It scared me a little when I realized that I saw it the other way around. If the soul and body really were divided, then it seemed to me that all the worst sins--hatred and anger and self-rightousness and even greed and lust--came from the soul. But these preachers...all though that the soul could do no wrong...and yet these same people believed in the resurrection of the body." (49)<br />
<br />
"'You have been given questions to which you cannot be <em>given</em> answers. You will have to live them out--perhaps a little at a time.'" (54)<br />
<br />
"Now I have had most of the life I am going to have, and I can see what it has been. I can remember those early years when it seemed to me I was cut completely adrift, and times when, looking back at earlier time, it seemed I had been wandering in the dark woods of error. But now it looks to me as though I was following a path that was laid out for me, unbroken, and maybe even as straight as possible, from one end to the other, and I have this feeling, which never leaves me anymore, that I have been <em>led</em>." (66)<br />
<br />
"The Good Shepherd and Pigeonville Collee were trying to be the world of the past. The university was trying to be the world of the future, and maybe it has had a good deal to do with the world as it has turned out to be, but this has not been as big an improvement as the university expected. The university thought of itself as a a place of freedom for thought and study and experimentation, and maybe it was, in a way. But it was an island too, a floating or a flying island. It was preparing people from the world of the past for the world of the future, and what was missing was the world of the present, where every body was living its small, short, surprising, miserable, wonderful, blessed, damaged, only life." (70-71)<br />
<br />
"Often I have not known where I was going until I was already there...Often I have received better than I have deserved. Often my fairest hopes have rested on bad mistakes. I am an ignorant pilgrim, crossing a dark valley. And yet for a long time, looking back, I have been unable to shake off the feeling that I have been led--make of that what you will." (133)<br />
<br />
"And so the farm came under the influence of a new pattern, and this was the pattern of a fundamental disagreement such as it had never seen before. It was a disagreement about time and money and the use of the world." (186)<br />
<br />
"She had come into her beauty. This was not the beauty of her youth and freshness, of which she had had a plenty. The beauty that I am speaking of now was that of a woman who has come into knowledge and into strength and who, knowing her hardships, trusts her strength and goes about her work even with a kind of happiness, serene somehow, and secure." (191)<br />
<br />
"But thinking of Mattie's marriage, I saw too how a marriage, in bringing two people into each other's presence, must include loneliness and error. I imagined a moment when the husband and wife realize that their marriage includes their faults, that they do not perfect each other, and that in making their marriage they also fail it and must carry to the grave things they cannot give away." (194)<br />
<br />
"But she loved him, however at odds with him she may have been, for however long. She remembered and kept treasured up her old feeling for him. She treasured up the knowledge that, though she was not happy, happiness existed. And so as Troy's character wore lower and more awry, her own grew straighter and brighter." (342)Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-66176801587891279142011-12-10T23:32:00.000-05:002011-12-31T00:15:44.518-05:00Books Read in 2011Edited 12/10/11 ~ Since life takes precedence over blogging, I've moved this list of my year to date reading to the top of the page. Maybe sometime I'll get back to recording my favorite quotations, but for now this is it.<br />
<br />
This is my master list of books read in 2011. It will include not only those books that I read myself, but also the chapter books that I read aloud to my kids. If I tried to include all the picture books we read the list would be much too long, but I figure that children's chapter books, especially the classics that I like to read, can count for my reading list as well. Links will be to my reviews when applicable, though I've become quite the negligent book blogger of late.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><i><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2011/01/les-miserables-by-victor-hugo.html">Les Miserables</a></i> by Victor Hugo (1463 pages)</li>
<li><em><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2011/01/emily-of-new-moon-by-l-m-montgomery.html">Emily of New Moon</a></em> by L. M. Montgomery (339 pages)</li>
<li><em><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2011/02/emily-climbs-by-l-m-montgomery.html">Emily Climbs</a></em> by L. M. Montgomery (325 pages)</li>
<li><em>Emily's Quest</em> by L. M. Montgomery (228 pages)</li>
<li><em>Inkheart</em> by Cornelia Funke (534 pages)</li>
<li><em>The Moonstone</em> by Wilkie Collins (494 pages)</li>
<li><em>A Red Herring Without Mustard </em>by Alan Bradley (391 pages)</li>
<li><em><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2011/03/railway-children-by-edith-nesbit.html">The Railway Children</a></em> by Edith Nesbit (188 pages)</li>
<li><em><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2011/03/reluctant-dragon-by-kenneth-grahame.html">The Reluctant Dragon</a></em> by Kenneth Grahame</li>
<li><em>My Life in France</em> by Julia Child with Alex Prud'Homme (304 pages)</li>
<li><em>The Scent of Water</em> by Elizabeth Goudge (349 pages)</li>
<li><em>The Monuments Men:Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History</em> by Robert M. Edsel with Bret Witter (450 pages)</li>
<li><em>Black Narcissus</em> by Rumer Godden</li>
<li><em>Puck of Pook's Hill</em> by Rudyard Kipling</li>
<li><em>Clouds of Witness</em> by Dorothy Sayers</li>
<li><em>Peter Pan and Wendy</em> by J. M. Barrie</li>
<li><em>Unbroken</em> by Laura Hillenbrand</li>
<li><em><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2011/12/jayber-crow-by-wendell-berry.html">Jayber Crow</a></em> by Wendell Berry</li>
<li><em>Dreams of Joy</em> by Lisa See</li>
<li><em>That Hideous Strength</em> by C. S. Lewis</li>
<li><em>The Count of Monte Cristo</em> by Alexandre Dumas</li>
<li><em>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone</em> by J. K. Rowling</li>
<li><em>Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets </em>by J. K. Rowling</li>
<li><em>Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</em> by J. K. Rowling</li>
<li><em>Looking for God in Harry Potter</em> by John Granger</li>
<li><em>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</em> by J. K. Rowling</li>
<li><em>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</em> by J. K. Rowling</li>
<li><em>To Kill a Mockingbird</em> by Harper Lee</li>
<li><em>St. Peter's Fair</em> by Ellis Peters</li>
<li><em>The Mystery of the Sea</em> by Bram Stoker</li>
<li><em>84, Charing Cross Rd</em> by Helene Hanff</li>
<li><em>The Leper of Saint Giles</em> by Ellis Peters</li>
<li><em><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2011/12/lessons-from-little-women-by-louisa-may.html">Little Women</a></em> by Louisa May Alcott</li>
<li><em>Little Men</em> by Louisa May Alcott</li>
<li><i>Jo's Boys</i> by Louisa May Alcott</li>
</ol>Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775003671162332796.post-62756894583554135802011-03-10T09:58:00.014-05:002011-03-10T21:05:50.639-05:00The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Dragon-Kenneth-Grahame/dp/0823407551?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Reluctant Dragon" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0823407551&tag=capthobooclu-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0823407551" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />Well, if it took us more than two months to finish <em>The Railway Children</em>, which was time well-spent, we breezed through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Dragon-Kenneth-Grahame/dp/0823407551?ie=UTF8&tag=capthobooclu-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><em>The Reluctant Dragon</em></a> in a matter of days. My kids were engaged enough in the story to comment on how it differed from the old Disney animated version, to study the pencil-sketch illustrations intently, and to request it every night until we were through. Actually, I think my children will sit and listen to just<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capthobooclu-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0823407551" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> about anything - at least they've never asked to quit reading a book and move on to another one, so that's probably no indication of a book's quality.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This is a short little book without chapters, but a little too long to finish in one sitting. I had to find some logical breaks to keep bedtime at a reasonable hour, much to the dismay of my daughter who asked, "Do we have to end with 'Goodnight' again?" There is a simple cast of characters: the dragon, an unnamed Boy, and St. George take center-stage, with a sheperd and his wife (the Boy's parents) in supporting roles and a host of villagers as extras. The sonnet-spouting dragon is clearly no threat to society, but the villagers have convinced themselves that he is a terrible menace and scourge upon their fair land. Meanwhile, the boy has befriended the dragon and feels that he must intervene when Saint George appears to fight the deadly beast. After explaining the dragon's true retiring nature and the exaggerations of the villagers, the boy introduces the knight to the dragon and helps them arrange things in an altogether satisfactory manner.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">There's some subtle humor in this tale, as it obviously plays upon the classic formula of knights conquering dragons and rescuing fair maidens. A Princess is sadly missing, however, since the Boy couldn't arrange <em>everything</em> as the dragon and Saint George expected him to, especially when his mother was waiting up for him. It's all right as dragon stories go, though not nearly so adventurous as <em><a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2009/11/read-aloud-thursday-my-fathers-dragon.html">My Father's Dragon</a></em>, nor so witty and charming as Grahame's classic <a href="http://linesfromthepage.blogspot.com/2009/12/read-aloud-thursday-wind-in-willows.html"><em>The Wind in the Willows</em></a> (linked to my reviews)<em>. </em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://hopeistheword.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/square-read-aloud-image.jpg?w=150&h=150" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Read-Aloud Thursday at Hope Is the Word" border="0" src="http://hopeistheword.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/square-read-aloud-image.jpg?w=150&h=150" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Amy and her girls read <em>The Reluctant Dragon</em> earlier this year, and you can check out her Read Aloud Thursday review <a href="http://www.hopeisthewordblog.com/2011/01/27/read-aloud-thursday-the-reluctant-dragon-by-kenneth-grahame/">here</a>. I'd like to see the illustrations in the volume that they read, and maybe we'll check it out again when we study Medieval history next year.</div>Heather VanTimmerenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814478239699334086noreply@blogger.com4